Week 6

This chapter focuses on ecotourism environments and in particular

on protected areas, which account for most ecotourism activity
because of the formal environmental protection that they provide.

ECOTOURISM
ENVIRONMENTS
ECO TOURISM ENVIRONMENTS
 An idea of land/sea specially

PUBLIC PROTECTED AREAS

dedicated to the protection and
maintenance of biological
diversity, and of natural and
associated cultural resources,
managed through legal or
effective means. It is managed
by public authority such as
federal state government
department, in contrast with
private protected areas
 NATURAL
Depending ENVIRONMENTS
on their designation, most protected areas are
more or less oriented towards the protection of relatively
undisturbed natural environments and biodiversity. They
therefore provide a suitable physical setting for
ecotourism in light of the nature-based criterion.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
 HIGH PUBLIC PROFILE
Some protected areas have attained a high enough
profile to be considered a primary or iconic tourist
attraction in their country or region.
There is always evidence that conferral of and such
status results in increased visitation levels, both from
local, domestic and international tourists.
HIGH PROJECT PROFILE
MARINE PROTECTED AREA
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Even the most modified or degraded sites apparently have
ecotourism potential.
Sites devastated by war, mining, deforestation, storage of
contaminated materials, overgrazing or other human
factor also deserved consideration
PRIVATE PROTECTED AREA
Non-government involvement in protected area can
occur in several ways. One controversial aspect is
the leasing or privatization of various services in
public protected areas. Food and rental services as
well as management and policing are functions that
are sometimes conceded to the private sector.
PRIVATE PROTECTED AREA
PRIVATE PROTECTED AREA
Whether urban or rural, artificial wetlands often attract an
enormous variety of wildlife and may eventually resemble
a natural, undisturbed habitat in their complexity.
ARTIFICIAL WETLANDS

Food-producing lands occupy about half of the world’s land

surface and include an array of extensively as well as moderately
modified environments each of which has its own implications of
ecotourism.

AGRICULTURAL LAND
 Urban areas do not initially appear to offer
any opportunities for ecotourism. Yet the
relationship is not as impossible as it seems.
On the supply side, many cities, and
particularly those in the more-developed but
less densely populated countries are
dominated by green space.
URBAN SPACE
URBAN SPACE
AREAS AND DESCRIPTIONS

IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION

PROTECTED AREAS AND
CATEGORIES
STRICT
Area NATURE
of land/or RESERVE
sea possessing some
outstanding or representative ecosystems,
geological or physiological features and/or
species, available primarily for scientific
research, and or environmental monitoring.
STRICT NATURE RESERVE
WILDERNESS AREA
Large area of unmodified or slightly modified
land or sea, retaining its natural character and
influence, without permanent or significant
habitation, which is protected and managed so
as to preserve its natural condition.
WILDERNESS AREA
National area of land and/or sea, designated to
NATIONAL
protect PARK
the ecological integrity of one or more
ecosystems for present and future generations,
exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the
purposes of designation to the area and provide a
foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational,
recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which
must be environmentally and culturally compatible.
NATIONAL PARK
NATURAL MONUMENT
Area containing one, or more, specific
natural/cultural feature which is of
outstanding or unique value because of his
inherent rarity, representative or aesthetic
qualities or cultural significance.

HABITAT/SPECIES
Area of landMANAGEMENT AREAS
and/or sea subject to active intervention for
management purposes so as to ensure the maintenance
and/or to meet the requirements of specific species.
HABITAT/SPECIES MGT. AREAS
 Area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate,
PROTECTED
where the interaction of people and nature over time
has produced an area of distinct character with
LANDSCAPE/SEASCAPE
character with significant aesthetic, ecological and/or
cultural value and often with high biological
diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this
traditional interaction is vital to the protection,
maintenance and evolution of such an area.
PROTECTED LANDSCAPE/SEASCAPE
Area containing predominantly unmodified natural
systems, managed to ensure long-term protection
and maintenance of biological diversity, while
providing at the natural products and services to
meet the community needs.
MANAGED RESOURCES
PROTECTED AREA
MANAGED RESOURCES PROTECTED
AREA