Ecotourism: a research bibliography

GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites

This article identifies ecological tourism as a type of tourism that is most fully in line with the principles of sustainable development being a global ecological and economic concept and corresponding to "slow tourism", as a form of behavior alternative to mainstream tourism. Particular attention is paid to the study of ecological tourism in protected natural areas in the forms as close as possible to "green" tourism. The scientific novelty of the work is aimed at studying the essential features and the following trends in the development of ecological tourism as a special type of recreational activity. The authors conducted a sociological study using questionnaires and focus group interviews. Tour guides providing services in a specially protected natural area were selected as the target sample. The study was carried out in the Curonian Spit National Park – a UNESCO site. The authors have studied and analyzed the individual motives and desires of tourists when...

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2016

Tourism is an important, even vital, source of income for many regions and countries. Tourism brings in considerable amounts of income into a local economy in the form of payment for goods and services demanded by tourists. This paper articulates the concept of tourism and that of ecotourism, and their interrelationship, and explains the critical difference between tourism and ecotourism, which are commonly confused. The paper briefly describes about the history, forms & benefits of eco tourism. It also discusses about the characteristics of responsible and sustainable tourism. The criticisms of ecotourism are also briefly described.

Czech Journal of Tourism

The concept of ecotourism evolves differently in developing and developed nations due to which the basic principles of ecotourism are in question. The existing literature on ecotourism suggests ambiguity in conceptual understanding of ecotourism. Due to this qualm, ecotourism is evolving into various forms. Different stakeholders with varying objectives related to ecotourism make it further difficult to form the consensus on what constitutes ecotourism. Without the clear understanding of ecotourism, it is difficult to evolve ethics on which the ecotourism principles are based. The focus of this research is to find out the principle components or themes of ecotourism using a content analysis for the development of ecotourism policy and applications. This study identified six key components of ecotourism which are widely accepted by researchers and could be used to shape the fundamental understanding of ecotourism. These themes are: (1) Nature oriented travel; (2) Support of conservat...

Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, 2017

Mainstream approaches ecotourism focus on the main idea that the tourism activities employ the kinds of sustainability that are economically viable, ecologically maintainable and socially equitable. Hence, ecotourism is considered a special type of sustainable tourism that aims at responsible use of natural, cultural and historical resources, and it simultaneously contributes to the local and national development and the protection of natural areas. This paper presents critical assessment of the mainstream explanations about the nature of ecotourism. To do so, the critical views in the related literature are collected, reviewed and presented. Their criticisms include the central assumptions and explanations provided by the mainstream scholars about ecotourism, such as definition, goals and outcomes of ecotourism, business practices, environmental sustainability, ethics and tourism policy. It is clear that critical approaches come up with explanations that are diametrically different and, thus reject the validity of the mainstream approaches.

The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism

Ecotourism is tourism done in a specific way that follows a set of principles promoting social, environmental and economic sustainability. When implemented properly based on these principles, it exemplifies the benefits of responsible tourism development and management. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people" (TIES, 1990). This definition clearly outlines the key components of ecotourism: conservation, communities and sustainable travel. Ecotourism represents a set of principles that have been successfully implemented in various communities, and are supported by extensive industry practice and academic research. Those who participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following principles of ecotourism (TIES, 1990):  Minimize impact.  Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.  Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.  Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.  Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.  Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate. This does not mean that ecotourism can only be accomplished at a particular service level and specific locations (i.e., roughing it in tropical jungles). On the contrary, the principles are there as benchmarks to guide a range of tourism activities involving nature -from luxury, adventure to rural, culinary to educational. Just as there are many different types of ecotourism businesses, ecotourism appeals to a wide range of travelers, of all ages and interests-and considers nature as the primary motivation for engagement. Interestingly, luxury travel is embracing sustainability, as sustainable tourism is progressing into an industry-wide priority. Trends in recent years have included elements such as: creating experiences that place travelers closer to nature, visually and proximally, embedding sustainability into the guest experience (e.g., pedal power for television viewing, tree plantings, visiting schools and supporting local community initiatives, etc.) 1 . As with previous reports, these concepts are important when identifying trends, the very of naturebased focused tourism integrates many trends relative to adventure travel, outdoor recreation, business, and of course the mainstream tourism industry.

A rise in the popularity of ecotourism has coincided with voluminous definitional discourse. Amongst stakeholders, confusion has resulted from the disparate nature of these definitions. In the absence of a common definition or set of key tenets the challenge has been to ensure operational ecotourism that adheres to the theoretical underpinnings of the concept. Without some semblance of definitional consensus, ecotourism may be on a precarious course whereby the ethics upon which the activity is conceptualised, the natural environment upon which the activity depends, and the legitimacy of the industry are at risk. The ambition of this research is to disentangle a set of themes from the evolving definitional debate in order to provide a framework for the development of ecotourism policy and applications. Recurring themes are identified through the application of content analysis methodology to select contemporary definitions. Those themes that appear most frequently are then introduced as an ecotourism conceptual framework based on key tenets. The tenets are meant to represent a set of established fundamental beliefs central to ecotourism: (1) naturebased; (2) preservation/conservation; (3) education; (4) sustainability; (5) distribution of benefits; and (6) ethics/responsibility/awareness.

1994

The Companion to Environmental Studies, 2018

Ecotourism is often considered of the fastest growing segments of a global tourism market that now rivals oil production as the world’s largest industry (UNWTO 2016). Yet what is actually being promoted under this label remains a matter of some confusion. The most widely accepted definition of ecotourism, offered by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), defines it as “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people” (cited in Honey 2008:6). Yet it must be recognized that this is not merely a factual statement, but rather a political argument intended to assert that these are the only activities that the concept should designate. In wider popular discourse, of course, the term is used to describe all manner of activities that generally endeavor to sell an encounter with “nature” very broadly defined. This promiscuous use of the term has led to criticism that it has become an empty label – or worse, a cover for “greenwashing,” allowing operators to conceal their detrimental practices beneath a veneer of social and environmental responsibility (Mowforth and Munt 2008). Efforts by TIES and others to define the term more narrowly, therefore, seek to focus attention on the ways in which the activities designated may or may not actually fulfill the social and environmental promises that they commonly make. Hence, advocates seek to distinguish “nature-based” tourism from ecotourism specifically, where the former “is defined solely by the recreational activities of the tourist” while “ecotourism is defined as well by a set of principles that include its benefits to both conservation and people in the host country” (Honey 2008: 7).

Annals of Tourism Research, 2010

2000

In the context of tourism, concepts such as ecotourism and sustainability have existed for some decades already. Yet, the tourism industry still feels that these definitions are unclear and that they confuse both consumers and tourism businesses. In this paper we concentrate on the problems of ecotourism in the context of Finnish rural tourism using a case study. We focus

Annals of Tourism Research, 1994

2015

The ecotourism field has grown in the last decade from a concept to a reality. During this time period there has been a tremendous amount of discussion about how well ecotourism can contribute to conservation and sustainable development worldwide. Virtually no businesses existed ten years ago that considered or used ecotourism principles or standards when developing itineraries, training guides, or marketing products. Now, many businesses throughout the world are not only aware of ecotourism standards, but are striving towards meeting these standards. This is not to say that many nature tourism business owners were not conservationists even 20-30 years ago. Many business owners say they were already practicing ecotourism, long before it was labelled. However, there were no generally accepted ecotourism standards or guidelines until the late 1980s. In the last five years ecotourism guidelines have been formulated by many different organizations worldwide. This has been an important s...