ecotourism market assignment

1994

2000

2008

A century into the age of modern travel and tourism, few corners of the planet remain truly off the beaten path. Tourism is a mammoth industry that generates an estimated US $300 billion in annual revenues and nearly 10% of all employment in the world (Honey and Rome, 2000). Under globalization, the numbers are expected only to rise, and by the year 2010, more than one billion tourists will be roaming the world (TIES, 2000; WTO, 2004).

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...

Biodiversity and Conservation, 1996

Ecotourism is expected, by the tourism industry and academics, to grow rapidly over the next 20 years. Much has been written about ecotourism, often with missionary zeal, but there is little consensus about its definition. It is argued here that conservationists and protected area managers should adopt a definition of ecotourism which contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and an appropriate definition is suggested. Ecotourism is not merely an alternative to mass tourism, nor is it the only alternative. The literature on nature tourism and the environmental impacts of the industry dates back to the late 1970s. Tourism is now the world's largest industry and it has an increasing impact on protected areas. Our understanding of these mechanisms, their ecological impacts and our capacity to manage tourism in protected areas lags behind the growth of tourism to protected areas. A rapid growth in nature tourism and tourism to protected areas has coincided with a shift in protected area management strategies towards integrated development. Tourism is one means available to protected area managers seeking to increase the economic value of a protected area and to offer sustainable opportunities for economic development to local people. This paper argues that potentially conflicting commercial, protected area and development interests all contribute to the emergence of ecotourism and have been doing so for many years. Ecotourism needs to be tightly defined if it is to benefit conservation. Protected area managers should consider how they can take control of nature tourism to the parks they manage and convert it into ecotourism for the benefit of conservation and the livelihoods of local people.

Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability, 2012

2019

Ecotourism is very much in vogue and widely contested and debated. Understanding ecotourism and its impacts is subjective and depends on one’s perspective whether it is a genuine approach for sustainable development of a destination or a marketing ploy. Past interpretations place the concept on a spectrum of opinions offering both positive and negative conclusions and indicating lack of clarity of what ecotourism is and how it can be operationalised. Early studies neglected the negative aspects of this form of tourism, viewing it as a panacea for the ills of mass tourism. More recently, our attention has been drawn to the need for the protection of the natural and social environments as well as ecotourism’s contribution to the economic development in a more sustainable way. The debate on sustainable ecotourism is still ongoing and its complexities are now being recognised. The aim of this conceptual paper is to identify the main differential characteristics of ecotourism. In so doi...

2013

Le present memoire nous presente le profil des citoyens ecotouristes et determine les facteurs cles de succes d'une strategie marketing centree sur l'ecotourisme. L'analyse de la litterature fait ressortir six principes internationaux de l'ecotourisme. Le premier principe est la protection et la conservation de l'environnement, qui inclue l'eau, les aliments, la nature, la flore et la faune. Le deuxieme principe est le processus d'apprentissage de la culture de la communaute locale, de sa nature et ses coutumes, ce qui comprend egalement la sensibilisation environnementale. Le troisieme principe est la visite durable par les touristes et la communaute locale. Le quatrieme principe est l'avantage economique pour la communaute locale. Le cinquieme est la minimisation de l'impact des visites touristiques sur l'environnement, et finalement la protection des droits de l'homme. Le cadre conceptuel presente identifie les variables qui caracterise...

2011

Potentials and challenges of Ecotourism by NZAYISENGA ADRIEN, 2017

Around the world, ecotourism has been hailed as a panacea: a way to fund conservation and scientific research, protect fragile and pristine ecosystem, benefits rural communities, promote development in poor countries ,enhance ecological and cultural sensitivities ,instill environmental awareness and social conscience in travel industry, satisfy and educate the discriminated tourists and some claim, build world peace. It is often positioned as an alternative to mass tourism, however, the understanding and implementation of the concept has been riddled with uncertainty. The ideal balance of conserving and developing at the same time is considered paradoxical not just for ecotourism but also related concepts like sustainability and improving nature conservations. This review paper critically examines the nature and application of ecotourism in improving nature in developing countries. The review adopted triangulation method which involved examination of two bases of information, on the one hand information from secondary information including books, journals, and on the other hand from periodical bulletins. It was found that ecotourism has not achieved the objective of integrating conservation of biodiversity and the socioeconomic development of adjacent communities; one reason for the existing implementation problems has been the concept itself and how it has been operational zed. Furthermore, ecotourism in the developing countries has been plagued with issues related to non-realization of promised benefits, none or weak development structures and absence of efficient governance and management. The review recommends greater coordination between the stakeholders involved in ecotourism and of key interest, the participation of the government and the local community. The present reviewed sources are twofold; theoretical and empirical, that gives understanding of why the developing countries have not been able to sustainably develop ecotourism and provides the concerned parties with crucial insights on the possible actions for achieving the objectives of ecotourism in improving nature conservations.

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.

2020