INTRODUCTION TO

ECOTOURISM
 Introduction
Ecotourism is the fastest growing sector of the
tourism industry. It has the potential to build
local economies, provide opportunities for
cultural exchange and encourage sustainable
development in tourism. It also has its
challenges. Join a community of like-minded
people to explore what ecotourism is all about,
engage in critical discussion and build your
knowledge. Throughout the course, you will
also be prompted to build a brief business plan
for an ecotourism enterprise.

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 Understand the definition and concept of
Ecotourism.

Enumerate the types of ecotourism.

Learning Discuss the nature, Principle and

guidelines, characteristics and function of

Objectives ecotourism management.

Definitions of Eco Tourism
According to Ceballos-Lascurain, ecotourism is the, ” traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated
natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants
and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestation (both past and present) found in these areas.”
Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as,” responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local people.”
According to the Ecotourism Association of Australia, ” ecotourism is nature-based tourism that involves
education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable.”
This definition recognizes that ‘natural environment’ includes cultural components and that ‘ecologically
sustainable’ involves an appropriate return to the local community and long-term conservation of the
resource.
According to Tickell, ecotourism is “travel to enjoy the world’s amazing diversity of natural life and human
culture without causing damage to either”.
Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable tourism that fosters environmental and cultural understanding,
appreciation and conservation.
 Types of Ecotourism

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 Fennell considers that ecotourism exits within the broader classification of tourism types which, at an initial
level, can be divided into the following types:
● Mass Tourism
● Alternative Tourism

Mass tourism we saw as the more traditional form of tourism development where short-term, free-market
principles dominate and the maximization of income is paramount. The development of the tourism industry
was originally seen as a desirable and relatively ‘clean’ industry for nations and regions to pursue. This was
particularly true in terms of benefits in foreign exchange earnings, employment and infrastructural development
such as transport networks.
These days we are more prone to vilify or characterize conventional mass tourism as a beast; a monstrosity
which has few redeeming qualities for the destination region, their people and their natural resource base.
This is not to deny that ‘mass tourism‘ has caused problems, because it has. There has, quite justifiably, been a
need to identify an alternative approach to tourism development that lessens the negative consequences of the
mass tourism approach.
Thus the ‘alternative tourism‘ perspective has become a popular paradigm. This alternative approach has
been described as a ‘competing paradigm’ to mass tourism, but it can also be viewed as a complementary
approach to tourism. That is, it is not possible to have ‘alternative tourism’ to.

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 So, the discussion returns to a semantic debate, perhaps it is best to accept that alternative tourism is a
natural outcome of the maturing understanding of tourism development and its strengths and weakness.
Fennell states that:
Alternative tourism is a generic term that encompasses a whole range of tourism strategies (e.g. appropriate,
eco, soft, responsible, people to people, and green tourism)
all of which purport to offer a more benign alternative to conventional mass tourism in certain types of
destinations.
However, Weaver quite rightly points out that there are also many criticisms of alternative tourism. It is clear
that just because alternative tourism has developed as are action to the negative consequences of mass tourism
it is not necessarily less harmful or better than its alternatives.

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 NATURE OF ECOTOURISM
Tourism activity is expected to grow by 4.3% per annum in real terms between 2008and 2017. Ecotourism or
nature-based tourism has become the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry growing 3 times faster than
the industry as a whole.
There can be no doubting of the increasing trends in environmental concern allied with the historically
prevalent trend of travel as for, of escape to nature, driven by the pressures of urban living encourage people to
seek solitude with nature, therefore, increasing the numbers of visitors to national parks and other protected
areas.
There are a number of dimensions to nature-based tourism. All forms of travel to natural areas are not
necessarily ecotourism, but this provides a useful step in differentiating nature-based tourism from
ecotourism and gives us a number of levels at which to distinguish the relationship between specific tourism
activities and nature:

● Those activities or experiences that are dependent on nature.

● Those activities or experiences that are enhanced by nature.
● Those activities or experiences for which the natural setting is incidental.

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 NATURE OF ECOTOURISM
There are several classes of nature-based tourism, each utilizing a combination of these dimensions. Bird
watching, for example, can provide a pleasant and relaxing holiday based around a general interest in nature
and the environment. So that without the natural environment it would be difficult to carry out the activity.
Similarly, camping is an activity/experience which often enhanced by nature. Most people would prefer to
camp in some type of natural setting rather than on the side of a busy road. Therefore, nature is an integral part
of these experiences but not the fundamental motivation for them.

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 PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES OF ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism attracts people who wish to interact with the environment and, in varying degrees, develop their
knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of it. The Ecotourism Society gives the principles and guidelines of
ecotourism. These are following as:
● Prepare travelers to minimize their negative impact while visiting sensitive environments and cultures
before departure.
● Prepare traveler for each encounter with local cultures and with native animals and plants.
● Minimize traveler impact on cultures by offering literature, briefings, leading by example, and
taking corrective actions.
● Use adequate leadership, and maintain small enough groups to ensure minimum group impact on destination.
Avoid areas that are under-managed and over-visited.
● Ensure managers, staff and contract employees know and participate in all aspects of company policy to
prevent impacts on the environment and local cultures.
● Give managers, staff and contact employees access to programs that will upgrade their ability to
communicate with and manage clients in sensitive natural and cultural settings.
● Be a contributor to the conservation of the region being visited.

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 PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES OF ECOTOURISM
● Provide competitive, local employment in all aspect of business operation.
● Offer site-sensitive accommodations that are not wasteful of local resources or
destructive to the environment, which provide ample opportunity for learning about the environment and
sensitive interchange with local communities.
● Focuses on personally experiencing natural areas in ways that led to greater understanding and appreciation.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism is travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to below impact and (often) small scale.
It helps educate the traveler, provides funds for conservation, directly benefits the economic development and political
empowerment of local communities, and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.
Some important characteristics of ecotourism are following as:
1. Involves travel to the natural destination. These destinations are often remote areas, whether inhabited or
uninhabited, and are usually under some kind of environmental protection at the national, international, communal, or
private travel. 2. Minimize impact. Tourism causes damage. Ecotourism strives to minimize the adverse effects of
hotels, trails, and other infrastructure by using either recycled or plentifully available local building material, renewable
sources of energy, recycling and safe disposal of waste and garbage, and environmentally and culturally sensitive
architectural design.
3. Builds environmental awareness. Ecotourism means education, for both tourist and residents of nearby communities.
Well before the tour begins, tour operators should supply travelers with reading material about the country,
environment, and local people, as well as a code of conduct for both the traveler and the industry itself. Ecotourism
projects should also help educate members of surrounding communities, schoolchildren, and the broader public in the
host country.
4. Provides direct financial benefits for conservation. Ecotourism helps raise funds for environmental protection,
research, and education through a variety of mechanisms, including park entrance fees; tour company, hotel, airline, and
airport taxes. And voluntary contributions.
5. Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people. Ecotourism holds that national parks and other
conservation areas will survive only if, there are happy people around the perimeters. The local community must be
involved with and
receive income and other tangible benefits (potable water, roads, health clinics, etc.) from the conservation area and its
tourist facilities.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF ECOTOURISM
6. Respects local culture. Ecotourism is not only “greener” but also less culturally intrusive and exploitative
than conventional tourism. Whereas prostitution, black markets, and drug often are byproducts of mass
tourism, ecotourism strives to be culturally respectful and the human population of a host country.
7. Supports human rights and democratic movements. The United Nations-sponsored World Tourism
Organization proclaims that tourism contributes to “international understanding, peace, prosperity, and
universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
Such sentiments, however, are little reflected in conventional mass tourism. In this way, ecotourism
supports humans rights and, to establish international peace.

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 FUNCTIONS OF ECOTOURISM
Eco-tourism is nature-based, environmentally educated and sustainably managed. Ross and Wall (1999)
outline the five fundamental functions of ecotourism namely:
1. Protection of natural areas
2. Education
3. Generation of money
4. Quality tourism
5. Local participation

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thank you