Relationship of Ecotourism to Sustainable

Tourism
Ecotourism
• In 1981 Ceballos Lascurin began using the
Spanish term “tuarisimo ecologico” to
designate forms of ecological tourism.

• This term then became shortened to

“ecotourisimo” in 1983.

• Ceballos used this word in discussions as

president of PRONATURA a Conservation NGO
and Director General of SEDUE, the Mexican
Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology.
• At the time he was lobbying for the
conservation of rainforest areas in the
Mexican state of Chiapas and a primary
strategy for maintaining the integrity of forest
ecosystems involved the promotion of
ecological tourism in the region.

• He emphasized;
“ the ecotourism could become a very
important tool for conservation”
• First appearance of the word in written form
was in March – April 1984 edition of American
Birds as an advertisement for a tourist
operation run by Ceballos.
 EcoTourism -Definitions

“Tourism that involves traveling to relatively

undisturbed or uncontaminated areas with the
specific objective of studying, admiring, and
enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and
animals, as well as any existing cultural
manifestations (both past and present) found in
these areas”
(Ceballos-Lascurain, 1991, p.25).
(Ceballos-Lascurain, who is generally accepted as the first
person to define ecotourism
 EcoTourism -Definitions

“Ecologically sustainable tourism with a

primary focus on experiencing natural areas
that fosters environmental and cultural
understanding, appreciation and
conservation.”

The Green Globe 21

International Ecotourism Standard
 EcoTourism -Definitions

“Ecotourism is travel to fragile, pristine, and usually

protected areas that strives to be low 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.”
Dr. Martha Honey
Co-founder of the Center for Responsible Travel
(in her book Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, Second Edition)
Main principles of ecotourism identified by Martha Honey (1999)

• Involves travel to natural destinations

• Minimizes impacts
• Builds environmental awareness
• Provides direct financial benefits for conservation
• Provides financial benefits and empowerment for
local people
• Respects local culture
• Supports human rights and democratic
movements
 EcoTourism -Definitions
• Fennell after reviewing 15 definitions of ecotourism provides his own
definition:

“Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resource-based

tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning
about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low-
impact, non-consumptive, and locally oriented (control,
benefits, and scale). It typically occurs in natural areas, and
should contribute to the conservation or preservation of
such areas”

Fennell, D.A. (1999). Ecotourism: An Introduction. New York: Routledge.

 13 main principles of ecotourism identified by Fennell (1999)

The variables are ranked by frequency of response:

• Interest in nature
• Contributes to conservation
• Reliance on parks and protected areas
• Benefits local people/long-term benefits
• Education and study
• Low impact/non-consumptive
• Ethics/responsibility
• Management
• Sustainable
• Enjoyment and appreciation
• Culture
• Adventure
• Small scale
 EcoTourism -Definitions
• Compared to these all encompassing definitions we can find simpler
definitions of what ecotourism should be. goes to the extreme of saying:

“The proper definition of ecotourism is ecologically sound

tourism. It really is that simple”
Shores (1992)

• He then complements by proposing a continuum from “relative

ecotourism” to “absolute ecotourism”.

“The overall or net effect of the tourism experience can be

environmentally sound -- relative ecotourism, or every
component and sub-component in the tourism web can be
environmentally sound -- absolute ecotourism.”
 EcoTourism -Definitions

“Responsible travel to natural areas that

conserves the environment and improves the
well-being of local people.”

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

Key principals of Ecotourism adopted from the TIES
Key principals of Ecotourism contd…
 Principals of Ecotourism
National Ecotourism policy in Sri Lanka

• Minimized and alleviate negative environmental, social

and cultural impacts.
• Optimize revenue for industry and for re-investment in
conservation.
• Optimize the active involvement of , and equitable
distribution of economic benefits to, local
communities.
• Educate visitors and citizens about the importance of
conserving Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural heritage.
• Promote ethical behavior and responsibilities towards
the natural and cultural environment.
 Principals of Ecotourism
National Ecotourism policy in Sri Lanka contd…

• Manage operations such that there are long

term benefits to the resource, industry and the
local communities.
• Deliver a high quality, value for money,
enlightening and participatory natural resource
and culture based experience for visitors.
• Encourage travel in a spirit of humility, respect
and learning about local hosts, their culture
and the natural environment.
 Size of Global Ecotourism
• Beginning in 1990s, ecotourism has been growing 20% -
34% per year.
• In 2004, ecotourism/nature tourism was growing globally
3 times faster than the tourism industry as a whole.
• Nature tourism is growing at 10%-12% per annum in the
international market.
• Sun-and-sand resort tourism has now “matured as a
market” and its growth is projected to remain flat. In
contrast, “experiential” tourism—which encompasses
ecotourism, nature, heritage, cultural, and soft adventure
tourism, as well as sub-sectors such as rural and
community tourism—is among the sectors expected to
grow most quickly over the next two decades.
 Size of Global Ecotourism contd…
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and
Conservation International have indicated that most of
tourism’s expansion is occurring in and around the
world’s remaining natural areas.
• Sustainable tourism could grow to 25% of the world’s
travel market within six
• years, taking the value of the sector to £250 billion
(US$473.6 billion) a year.
• Analysts predict a growth in eco-resorts and hotels, and a
boom in nature tourism a sector already growing at 20%
a year — and suggest early converts to sustainable
tourism will make market gains.
 Economics of Ecotourism vs. Mass Tourism
• In Dominica, in the Caribbean, “stay over” tourists using
small, nature-based lodges spent 18 times more than cruise
passengers spend while visiting the island.
• In Komodo National Park in Indonesia, independent travelers
spend nearly US$100 locally per visit; package holidaymakers
spend only half this.
• 80% of money for all-inclusive package tours goes to airlines,
hotels, and other international companies. Eco-lodges hire
and purchase locally, and sometimes put as much as 95% of
money into the local economy.
• The daily expenditure of cultural tourists (over US$90) is
higher than visitors on a touring holiday ( US$67), beach
holiday (US$62), city break ($US$54) or rural trip.
 Consumer Demand on Ecotourism
• More than two-thirds of U.S. and Australian travelers, and 90% of
British tourists, consider active protection of the environment and
support of local communities to be part of a hotel’s responsibility.
• In Europe: 20%-30% of travelers are aware of needs & values of
sustainable tourism. 10%-20% of travelers look for ‘green’ options.
5%-10% of travelers demand ‘green’ holidays.
• In Germany, 65% (39 million) of travelers expect environmental quality;
42% (25 million) “think that it is particularly important to find
environmentally-friendly accommodation.”
• Nearly half of those surveyed in Britain said they would be more likely
to go with a “company that had a written code to guarantee good
working conditions, protect the environment and support local
charities in the tourist destination…ethical tourism will rightly be a big
issue in the new millennium.”
• A survey of U.S., British, and Australian travelers revealed that 70%
would pay up to $150 more for a two-week stay in a hotel with a
“responsible environmental attitude.
 Consumer Demand on Ecotourism contd…
• In a U.K. survey, 87% of travelers said their holiday should
not damage the environment; 39% said they were prepared
to pay 5% extra for ethical guarantees.
• 53% of American travelers say their travel experience is
enhanced when they learn as much as possible about local
customs and culture.
• 95% of Swiss tourists consider respect for local culture to
be highly important when choosing a holiday.
• Nearly a third (46 million) of U.S. travelers buy specifically
from companies that donate part of their proceeds to
charities. In Europe, where there is a strong and growing
sustainable tourism movement, these figures are even
higher.
 Typology of an Ecotourist
Casual :
People who visit nature incidentally through day
trips during broader vacations.
Mainstream:
People who visit protected areas primarily to take an
un usual trip. (people who visit the Amazon, Ruwanda gorilla park
or other such destinations)
Dedicated:
People who take trips specially to see protected areas and
who want to understand local , natural and cultural history.
Hard core:
Scientific researchers or members specifically designed for
education, environmental restoration, or similar purposes.
 Profile of Ecotourists in Europe
• Experienced travelers
• Higher education
• Higher income bracket
• Age: middle-age to elderly
• Opinion leaders
• Ask & tell their friends & colleagues about trip
• Are the most important source of trip
information
(Herbert Hamele, Ecotrans, Germany, 2004.)
 Average Profile of Ecotourists
• Age 35 – 54
• Gender generally 50 % - 50%
• Education highly educated [majority (82%)
graduates
• Expenditure generally higher than main
stream tourism
• Party composition the majority (60%) travel
as couple, 15% with families and 13% prefer
to travel alone
(Wight, 1996)
 Environment Friendly Tourist (EFT)
Characteristics of EFT’s

1. Higher/tertiary education
2. Age – middle
3. Interest in learning
4. Income- high
5. Environment concern – high
6. High expenditure
7. High environmental awareness
8. Interest in culture
9. Gender – female
10.Health concerns
11.Physically active
12.Adventure seeking
13.Professional occupation
14.Willing to forgo comforts
(Sara Dolnica, Geoffrey I. Crouch and Patric Long , Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol 16, 2008)
Ecotourism Guidelines For Responsible
Travelers
 Ecotourism - Two broad divisions
Community Based Ecotourism (CBE)
– Community based Ecotourism are enterprises that are owned and
managed by the community.
– It involves conservation, business enterprise and community
development.

Entrepreneur based Ecotourism (EBE)

– Entrepreneur based Ecotourism refers to private sector initiatives
where the stakeholders are the entrepreneurs or their appointees,
shareholders, employees and the community where the project is
located.

– A distinct difference is that in entrepreneur based ecotourism,s the

community does not manage or own the enterprise and is a
beneficiary (stake holder).
 Ecotourism Attraction Inventories

There are 3 categories of Ecotourism attractions:

• Focal attractions
• Complementary attractions
• Support attractions
Focal Attractions

• They are the most distinctive and relevant

elements of the natural and/or cultural
heritage found in an ecoturism destination or
region.

• They constitute the main reason for an

ecotourist to travel to that specific
destination.
Complementary Attractions
• They also correspond to elements of natural and/or cultural
heritage which are found in a specific area, but which do not
possess the same importance or singularity of the focal
attractions.

• They provide added value to the ecotourism destination,

contributing to a richer and more diverse tourism
experience.

• They entice the ecotourist to remain a longer period of time

in the region, generating more substantial economic
revenues to the local inhabitants.
Support Attractions
• They are those artificial elements (facilities and services) that
provide satisfaction to the visitor, facilitating his visit.

• They include: ecolodges ( 1 ,2 ), restaurants, interpretive centre,

nature trails, docks, look-out points, canopy walk, horse riding and
boat riding services, ecotour oprators, etc.

• They are never the main reason for an ecotourist visiting a specific
destination or region, but they constitute an indispensable
element.

• They are added a posteriori, to provide support to the focal and

complementary attractions, which are the main ecotourism draw.
 Determining Ecotourism Potential

• To determine the ecotourism potential of a

locality or region it is essential to work out a
systematic inventory of its ecoturism
attractions.

EP - Ecotourism Potential
FA - Focal Attraction
CA -Complementary attractions
SA – Support Attraction
Ecotourism Resource Base
Ecotourism Resource Base some local examples

• Yala National Park

• Wilpaththu National Park
• Wildlife, plants, National Parks, Forest Reserve
s
• Sri Lanka 1
• Sri Lanka 2
• Sri Lanka 3
• Sri Lanka Hill train tour
 Ecotourism some global examples

• Ecotourism in Madagascar
• Ecotourism in Kerala part 1
• Ecotourism in Kerala part 2
• Ecotourism in Kerala part 3
• Ecotourism in Kerala part 4
• Ecotourism in Costa Rica
 Ecotourism some local examples
Community Based Ecotourism
• Ulpotha – Nildiyawara CBO - Kurunegala
• RUK – Rekawa, Ussangoda,Kalametiya
• Ranpathwila - Kurunegala
• Bundala
• Ambalanthota – Walawe Nadee Community
Tourism Project
• Rekawa Turtle Conservation Project
Green Washing
Green wash :
the act of misleading consumers regarding the
environmental practices of a company or the
environmental benefits of a product or
service.
Dr.Sampath Wahala
Ecobusiness Managemant Special Degree Programm,
Dept of Tourism Management, Faculty of Management Studies,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Belihuloya
0715556191

sampathwahala@yahoo.co.uk
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Analysis on Systemic failures
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