Ecotourism on Being a Minor Sector of the UK Tourism Market - Essay Example

?Ecotourism on being a Minor Sector of the UK Tourism Market Introduction The increasing awareness of humanity on the importance of nature to societyhas led to the discovery of a market sector that is now becoming a vital source of income to some nations, and this sector is Ecotourism. Undeniably, ecotourism appears to be beneficial for some nations seeking to enhance the growth of the tourism industry. In point of fact, ecotourism has been strengthening its presence in a niche market within the tourism industry (Wood, 2002, p.7). However, not all nations depend on ecotourism to boost the performance of their tourism market. For instance, in the UK, ecotourism is not being advertised as one of the prime sectors of the tourism market. Despite its contribution to the continued growth of the tourism market, the UK government does not recognise it as that significant in comparison with other tourism sectors. For this reason, this paper seeks to focus on the possible reasons why ecotourism is deemed as a minor sector of the UK tourism market. In addition, it seeks to examine the role and potential of ecotourism in the UK. Ecotourism Defined The World Tourism Organization (WTO) (n.d., p.4) defines ecotourism as a form of tourism having the characteristic of a “nature-based form of tourism” that attracts travellers who are seeking to visit natural spots, especially those that have preserved their “traditional cultures and natural sceneries.” Other characteristics of ecotourism are the following: (i) “contains educational and interpretation features; (ii) organised for small, locally-owned businesses and foreign operators that organised ecotourism tourism tours for small groups; (iii) lessens the negative effect on the natural and socio-cultural environment” (WTO, n.d., p.4). Ecotourism opens vast opportunities to local areas and small-sized companies, which eventually improves the status of living (WTO, n.d., p.5). It also encourages the local communities and tourists on paying attention to environmental preservation, especially nowadays in which the impact of environmental destruction is highly apparent (p.5). Argument: Ecotourism as a Minor Market Segment Ecotourism has found a competent position in a niche market within the tourism industry where it is being run by certain market forces and policies (Wood, 2002, p.10). In the market, ecotourism is usually being promoted as nature tourism (p.10). Nevertheless, this small, but gradually growing market segment is being developed to become a key driver of growth in the tourism industry. Still, there is a growing concern over the social and environmental policies and programs that nations implement to support ecotourism. Some nations are determined to enforce socio-environmental policies and programs for the improvement of ecotourism, but other nations are not that stern to implement such programs and policies (Wood, 2002, p.10). As a consequence, there is a variation with regard to how nations interpret ecotourism, and why it is deemed a major or minor sector of the tourism market in different nations. Ecotourism is under nature tourism, but it is as well connected to rural and cultural tourism. Most often, ecotourism is categorised as a small-scale tourism, since it caters only a limited number of tourists with them, seeking for the services of small tour groups and hotels; these hotels are those that have no more than 100 beds usually owned by small and medium-sized companies (Wood, 2002, p.11). Ecotourism is a market segment that focuses on the accommodation of small groups, hence, guiding them to natural areas in a way that is educational enough for them to realise the value of the place (p.11). Ecotourism in the UK There is not much of information with regard to the sector of ecotourism in the UK. Most of the time, the information is more on the tourism industry as a whole and not on ecotourism as a major part of the industry. Nevertheless, it has been stated that ecotourism comprised 20% of the entire tourism market (Hodgson, 2012). With this small percentage, it is no wonder why ecotourism is not a key driver of growth in the tourism market. Another reason why ecotourism is not considered a big time in the UK is because it is under the management of small scale businesses. In fact, UK residents spend their money to have their vacations overseas. This is an indication that even the local residents do not prefer ecotourism tours and would rather spend their holidays in other countries. Most probably, there are some weak points in promoting the sector in the local and international market. According to the study conducted by the WTO (n.d., p.13), only 12% of the tour operators surveyed have incorporated the concept of ecotourism in designing their marketing literature. The 200 companies surveyed admitted that only 3.5% of their brochures suggested ecotourism; 7.5% made use of the term responsible tourism while11% for sustainable tourism, and 12% for environmental tourism. Out of the 200 tour operators surveyed, only 75 operators offer nature-based tourism activities that are promoted by making use of the ecotourism concept in their marketing literature (WTO, n.d., p.14). These data from the WTO affirm the lack of effort in taking into account the ecotourism as part of their marketing literature. On the other hand, UNESCO identified 27 natural and cultural heritage sites in the UK (The International Ecotourism Society, 2012). This is an indication that the ecotourism industry in the UK has a potential to grow, as one of the major sectors, if the UK government and companies find a way to promote it both in the local and foreign market. Ecotourism is becoming a significant sub-sector of the entire tourism industry (Cousins, 2007, p.1020). However, since the income that is generated from the sector is lesser compared to other tourism sectors, ecotourism is still a minor sector of the UK tourism market, and much has to be done to increase its presence and popularity to the target market of the tourism industry. Wildlife tourism and Reynolds and Braithwaite model Wildlife tourism is another addition to the concept of ecotourism (Fennell, 2008, p.31). In the UK, wildlife tourism is already deemed as one of the “fastest growing tourism markets,” (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). The prime wildlife tourism destinations in the UK include South Africa, Gambia and Uganda (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). As this sub-sector of the ecotourism sector grows, the market that it targets to penetrate also narrows, thereby, creating more opportunities to the localities, tour operators, and accommodations that are located near wildlife destinations. The market for wildlife tourism takes into account those travel enthusiasts who seek for adventure, such as floral tours, mammal watching, habitat specific tours, safaris, and even research oriented trips (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). In addition, retired people are also becoming fascinated with the fulfillment they get in having long haul wildlife trips. Most of these UK wildlife tourists are females (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). Furthermore, families and younger markets are also interested in spending their holidays doing conservation-oriented activities as much as how newlywed couples find interest to have a unique safari honeymoon experience (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). By and large, the UK is the second “European source market for international tourism” (CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d.). This positive development, alongside the increasing appreciation of UK travellers on the impact of their trips on nature, opens an opportunity to introduce wildlife tourism as one good option to spend an unforgettable environmentally-friendly holiday. Reynolds and Braithwaite (2001 cited in Fennell, 2008, p.31) proposed a framework that explains the correlation between wildlife tourism and ecotourism. They have identified seven categories that will link wildlife tourism to ecotourism. The categories include (a) nature-based tourism and wildlife component; (b) locations with good wildlife viewing opportunities; (c) artificial attractions based on wildlife; (d) specialist animal watching; (e) habitat specific tours; (f) thrill offering tours and; (g) hunting/fishing tours. All these categories are applicable to the UK wildlife tourism because of its vast wildlife tourism destinations. If these destinations are promoted well, then they will attract foreign and local tourists. However, since the definition of the term wildlife tourism is broad and vague (Curtin and Wilkins, 2005, p.455), difficulties might be encountered once they are incorporated in the marketing literature of companies. Nevertheless, wildlife tourism is one good instrument to boost ecotourism because it has turned to a trend in the tourism industry. Conclusion Ecotourism is considered as a minor sector of the UK tourism market because it only targets the limited number of audience, and it is mostly beneficial to small scale companies. Since the tourism industry is composed of various sub-sectors, it would be difficult for ecotourism to obtain a higher spot or be a major sector because it only generates an amount of income that is not as high as the major sectors, such as business travel. Still, because there is this growing awareness of people toward the importance of the environment, ecotourism with the aid of its sub-sectors, such as wildlife tourism, might be someday become one of the major sectors of the tourism market. References CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d. Wildlife tourism in the UK. [Online]. Available at: [Accessed 11 December 2012]. Cousins, J.A., 2007. The role of UK-based conservation tourism operators. Tourism Management, 28, pp.1020-1030. Curtin, S. and Wilkes, K., 2005. British wildlife tourism operators; current issues and typologies. Current Issues and Tourism, 8 (5), pp.455-478. Fennell, D.A., 2008. Ecotourism. 3rd ed. Oxon, OX: Routledge. Hodgson, L., 2012. Ecotourism; what's on offer. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 11 December 2012]. The International Ecotourism Society, 2012. EcoDestinations - UK. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 11 December 2012]. Wood, M.E., 2002. Ecotourism: principles, practices & policies for sustainability. [Online] United Nations Environment Programme/TIES. Available at: [Accessed 11 December 2012]. World Tourism Organization, n.d. The British ecotourism market. [Online] WTO. Available at: [Accessed 11 December 2012]. Read More