Session 4.

Introduction to Ecotourism

Ramon Benedicto A. Alampay, Ph.D.

Asian Institute of Management

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Nature Tourism and
Ecotourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Ecotourism is a niche or segment of
nature-based tourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Ecotourism is a niche or segment of
nature-based tourism
TOURISM
Travel to places other than one’s usual environment for purposes other than
immigration and remuneration at the destination

LEISURE TOURISM
Travel for purposes of leisure, recreation and/or holiday

NATURE TOURISM
Travel to unspoiled places to experience & enjoy nature

ECOTOURISM
Responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the
environment and improves the welfare of local people
Friday, July 2, 2010
 Other terms associated with nature tourism & ecotourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Other terms associated with nature tourism & ecotourism

Adventure tourism
Related in form or
tourist activity
Geotourism
Responsible tourism
Related
Pro-poor tourism development goals
and objectives
Sustainable tourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 SOME COMMON TYPES OF TOURISM

Friday, July 2, 2010

 SOME COMMON TYPES OF TOURISM
Nature-
Based Tourism

Cultural ECOTOURISM
Tourism Coastal
Tourism
Sustainable
Urban Tourism
Tourism Cruise
Tourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 The Roots of Ecotourism
Nature-based Adventure Tourism (e.g. mountain climbing,
rafting, etc.)
Wildlife tourism
Counter-culture niche against mass tourism (Elite)
interest in indigenous (less known, less “familiar”
cultures)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Environmentally responsible travel and visitation to
relatively undisturbed natural areas in order to enjoy, study
and appreciate nature and any accompanying cultural
features that promote conservation, has a negative visitation
impact and provides for substantial beneficial active socio-
economic involvement of local populations -
Hector Ceballos-Lascurian

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Hard and Soft Ecotourism*
Hard (Active) Soft (Passive)
Environmental
Strong Moderate
Commitment

Enhanced Concept of sustainability Steady-state

Specialized Trips Multi-purpose

Long Duration of trip Short

Physically active Physical demands Physically passive

Few services expected Service expectations Services expected

Personal experience Emphasis Interpretation

*Weaver, 2001

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Surface understanding of Tourists gain meaningful

Experiencing the a culture; tourists are understanding of culture
culture of the host spectators of cultural by immersion (when
community traditions, performances appropriate) and/or
and artifacts self-education

*Acott, LaTrobe and Howard, 1998

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Surface understanding of Tourists gain meaningful

Experiencing the a culture; tourists are understanding of culture
culture of the host spectators of cultural by immersion (when
community traditions, performances appropriate) and/or
and artifacts self-education

*Acott, LaTrobe and Howard, 1998

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Surface understanding of Tourists gain meaningful

Experiencing the a culture; tourists are understanding of culture
culture of the host spectators of cultural by immersion (when
community traditions, performances appropriate) and/or
and artifacts self-education

*Acott, LaTrobe and Howard, 1998

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Western standards of
Western comforts not
safety, comfort and
required; tourists may
Tourist service hygiene are maintained
want to try local dishes
standards where possible; tourists
as part of the cultural
may want western food
learning
and drink.

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Western standards of
Western comforts not
safety, comfort and
required; tourists may
Tourist service hygiene are maintained
want to try local dishes
standards where possible; tourists
as part of the cultural
may want western food
learning
and drink.

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Western standards of
Western comforts not
safety, comfort and
required; tourists may
Tourist service hygiene are maintained
want to try local dishes
standards where possible; tourists
as part of the cultural
may want western food
learning
and drink.

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Preservation and
Preference for “pristine” protection from humans,
natural enclaves may as long as activity is
Preserving the
result in policies where integrated with
quality of the
natural resource indigenous peoples are efforts to maintain
excluded from natural biodiversity and
areas ecological integrity of
land
Friday, July 2, 2010
 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Preservation and
Preference for “pristine” protection from humans,
natural enclaves may as long as activity is
Preserving the
result in policies where integrated with
quality of the
natural resource indigenous peoples are efforts to maintain
excluded from natural biodiversity and
areas ecological integrity of
land
Friday, July 2, 2010
 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Preservation and
Preference for “pristine” protection from humans,
natural enclaves may as long as activity is
Preserving the
result in policies where integrated with
quality of the
natural resource indigenous peoples are efforts to maintain
excluded from natural biodiversity and
areas ecological integrity of
land
Friday, July 2, 2010
 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Recognition of
intrinsic values of all
The value(s) of Instrumental
elements of nature (not
nature valuation of nature
just those needed by
humans)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Shallow vs. Deep
Shallow
Deep Ecotourism
Ecotourism

Recognition of
intrinsic values of all
The value(s) of Instrumental
elements of nature (not
nature valuation of nature
just those needed by
humans)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 The Value of Iconic Attractions

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Tourism Businesses and Protected Areas

Economic Activities
Develop Tours or Excursions Linked to Protected Areas
Sell merchandise related to the site
Run tourism-related concessions and leases in the site

Contribution to Conservation Effort

Raise tourists’ awareness on protecting sites
Cooperate in collecting entrance and user fees
Generate donations to the site

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Demand for Ecotourism

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Estimating the size of the ecotourism market.
Small but growing

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Estimating the size of the ecotourism market.
Small but growing

UN World Tourism Organization

has estimated that wildlife and
ecotourism accounts for 7% of
the world market
The International Ecotourism
Society estimates that nature
ASEAN Share: Estimated 4
tourism is growing by 10-12% million ecotourists in 2007
per year, internationally

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
By Region of Origin
North America, Western Europe,
Australia/New Zealand
Asian markets are emerging (e.g.
Japan)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
By Region of Origin
North America, Western Europe,
Australia/New Zealand
Asian markets are emerging (e.g.
Japan)

Profile
Tend to be higher educated
Age profile varies by according to
country profile
Australia: young to middle-ages
Japan: middle-aged to seniors

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
Activity Preferences

Source: Wood/IFC (2003)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
Activity Preferences
Vary from destination to destination
diving/marine (Pacific)
jungle/rainforest (Southeast Asia)

Overall: strong interest in the natural

environment, experiential vacation, &
learning
Specific interests
Admiring scenery & wildlife viewing
Hiking & walking
Taking guided interpretative tours
Visiting parks and protected areas
Source: Wood/IFC (2003)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
Accommodation Preferences

Source: Wood/IFC (2003)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Who are the nature/ecotourists?
Accommodation Preferences

Provides good access to the

primary attraction or activity area
Comfortable, conventional, mid- The activity is still the main thing. Lodging
design and practice will tend to be
priced lodging considered when the main priorities have
been met.
Will stay in traditional local
accommodations if there are no
good alternatives
Source: Wood/IFC (2003)

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Consumer Demand for Responsible Tourism

SOURCE: Chafe, Z. & Honey, M. (2005). Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism. CESD/TIES Working Paper No. 104. Center on
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD), The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Revised April 2005.

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Consumer Demand for Responsible Tourism
A majority of tourists are interested in the social, cultural and
environmental issues.
important to the vast majority of them that their trip not damage local ecosystems.
interested in patronizing hotels that are committed to protecting the local
environment

Once educated about ecotourism certification and ecolabels, a majority of

tourists support the concept and will use the labels to choose future tour
operators.
Wide-spread support for responsible tourism among operators
SOURCE: Chafe, Z. & Honey, M. (2005). Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism. CESD/TIES Working Paper No. 104. Center on
Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD), The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Revised April 2005.

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Demand for Natural and Cultural Products

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Demand for Natural and Cultural Products

Which of the following would be the

greatest benefits to visiting destinations in
Asia?
• Opportunity to experience other
cultures = 22%
• Natural beauty of the region = 18%
Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010

 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

How much extra would you be prepared to

pay for culturally-sensitive tourism
products (e.g. flights or hotels)?
70% would pay extra (10 to 50%)
How much extra would you be prepared to
pay for environmentally-friendly tourism
products (e.g. flights or hotels)?
68% would pay extra (10 to 50%)

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?
• Much more likely = 35%

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?
• Much more likely = 35%
• A little more likely = 54%

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?
• Much more likely = 35%
• A little more likely = 54%
...environmentally-friendly?

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?
• Much more likely = 35%
• A little more likely = 54%
...environmentally-friendly?
• Much more likely = 37%

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures?
• Much more likely = 35%
• A little more likely = 54%
...environmentally-friendly?
• Much more likely = 37%
• A little more likely = 50%

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Latent Demand for Green/Responsible Tourism Products

When thinking about your holiday, to

what extent would you be more inclined to
choose tourism products (e.g. flights or
hotels) that are:
...sensitive to local cultures? about 9 out of 10 would
be more inclined to
• Much more likely = 35% choose culturally-
• A little more likely = 54% sensitive &
environmentally-friendly
...environmentally-friendly?
tourism products
• Much more likely = 37%
• A little more likely = 50%

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Demand is likely not limited to ecotourism
products

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010
 Demand is likely not limited to ecotourism
products

What sort of experience is

most important?
• Local culture - 35% Suggests a preference
for more traditional,
• Relaxation - 33% mainstream tourism
• Outdoor adventure - 12% activities

Source: 2007 Asia Travel Intentions Survey

Friday, July 2, 2010