Global Ecotourism Development - Essay Example

Order 288994 April 11, 2009 Development of Global Ecotourism Martha Honey (1998) has defined ecotourism as a ‘travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and (usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveller; 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.’ This has come to be accepted as standard definition. It expresses in simple terms the complex concept of global ecotourism that has evolved over the last three decades not only as another form of tourism but also as a model of sustainable development. While the usual forms of travel are concerned only about the wants of the traveller, the focus of ecotourism is on the positive ways the traveller can impact the host country and its inhabitants. The impetus to the economic growth of the world provided by ecotourism prompted the United Nations to declare 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism to signify its importance. The underdeveloped countries can make significant economic gains through effectively utilizing ecotourism to generate employment and alleviate poverty. The seed of ecotourism was sown in the developed countries. The creation of National Parks in America was the precursor that evolved into the methods and structures of ecotourism over the years. When the Redwood National Park of California was created in 1968 to protect the redwoods from total depletion through continuous logging, local people economically dependent on such exploitation suddenly found themselves without a livelihood. However, the flow of tourists to the region increased 2 and the loggers gradually became hotel owners, tour guides and contractors with some retraining by the federal government and their expertise about the redwood forests. In fact, this expertise was utilized for reseeding the redwoods and controlling fire and flood. Thus ecotourism developed to address the need for preserving the earth’s natural resources by creating a travel infrastructure that besides boosting tourism would take care of the economic needs of the local people in a sustainable environment. The idea of ecotourism as we know it in the modern age started gaining ground from the 1980s. The idea possibly originated as a venture by a few entrepreneurs who saw business opportunity in the growing desire among the tourists to visit remote places not hitherto trodden where they could experience nature in all her unspoiled glory. These entrepreneurs set up eco lodges which were simple accommodations that brought the travellers closer to nature. During the 1990s, the idea no longer remained confined to individuals but caught on among community leaders and government agencies at all levels in countries like America, Spain and Australia. Ecotourism during the nineties became a global phenomenon with companies setting up eco lodges and promoting this kind of tourism at remote locations across the world. Toward the end of the nineties, the various communities for promoting ecotourism started involving local people encouraging them to launch projects that would strengthen the local economy by attracting tourists. Areas were developed with such simple activities as plantation or restoration with participation of local people in such projects to make these places destinations for ecotourism. This continues to the present day with introduction of policies and guidelines in the new millennium to control operations of global ecotourism. 3 Since the 1990s, global ecotourism has been growing at an annual rate of around 30%. Although founded on the philosophy of conserving natural resources and maintaining ecological balance, this tremendous growth has been mainly due to the recognition by the developing countries of its potential to bring economic prosperity to undeveloped or underdeveloped regions. The economic benefit arising out of preventing exploitation of resources has fuelled more than anything else expansion of global ecotourism. The revenues earned from a locality promoted as an eco destination contribute to the welfare of the local people. Working on the principles of sustainability, ecotourism has played an important role in supporting local economy by conserving ecosystems. There is thus an international appeal associated with ecotourism. Travellers now realize that acting responsibly and in an environment-friendly way would not only make them a part of the conservation process but also make them more informed about the people and culture of the places they are visiting. Personal contact with the local community offered by ecotourism enriches a tourist’s experience through cross-cultural exchange. Ecotourism has been further popularized by the internet, TV and other mass media. TV networks like Discovery, Animal Planet and National Geographic have raised public awareness about the need to be environment sensitive. Ecotourism has developed mainly as a sustainable alternative to exploitive human activities like farming, wildlife harvesting, mining and logging. Instead of gradually destroying the biodiversity, this form of tourism can now be used as a tool by the local people as a source of long term revenue by sharing with the tourists their knowledge of the local ecology in the process preserving it and maintaining their place of pride. 4 The quick success of ecotourism ventures has further encouraged its growth. Such projects with participation by the local community earn profit by renting out eco lodges and marketing of information about local ecology, native culture and artwork. The revenue goes into preservation of the biodiversity and ecology as well as cultural heritage of the locality. Ecotourism during its development over the last three decades has been negatively impacted by global upheavals like economic recession, terrorism, high cost of fuel, etc. Besides, with increasing footprints on the ecologically fragile zones, doubts have been cast as to the real implications of developing these areas as eco destinations. Instead of working as a sustaining mechanism for ecology and culture, pressure of increasing number of tourists has the potential to damage the environment and the social infrastructure unless ecotourism is properly structured to strictly serve the intended purpose. The global boom in ecotourism has also put wildlife under stress in many places endangering their existence. The infections are either passed on to the animals directly from the tourists or caused by contamination from wastes dumped by the visitors. Ironically, the eco-tourists who bring revenue for conserving wildlife might also bring disease and death by coming into close contacts with animals. The carbon emissions from vehicles deployed for promoting ecotourism cause damage to the animal habitat that it is supposed to protect. Eco-tourists while hiking across the wild regions impoverish the landscape by using up the twigs for fuel leaving the trash that spoils the environment. Too many visitors to an ecologically sensitive region like the Galapagos means potential destruction of the island’s ecology spelling possible extinction of some species of flora. 5 Oslo Statement on Ecotourism (2007) while acknowledging the achievement made by ecotourism during the period 2002 to 2007 has delineated the challenges faced by this sector. Ecotourism has brought an increasing number of people in close contact with world’s remote and natural regions offering them views of exotic wildlife and the new experience of living in those areas. It has, however, brought in its wake the negative impacts of too many footprints on the delicately balanced ecologic zones causing pressures on the natural and social infrastructures. A structured management practice strictly adhering to the laid down operative guidelines is imperative to prevent abuse of ecotourism. While many countries have placed ecotourism strategies on paper, there is not enough effort to integrate them with their policies for environment and tourism thus leaving such strategies unimplemented. The basic purpose of ecotourism is twofold- creating sustainable livelihoods for the local community and conserving the resources. However, often the ecotourism projects fail to achieve these ends due to lack of access to the market. Another serious challenge is the carbon emission related to the operations of ecotourism, e.g. emission of greenhouse gases from surface transportation. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) Code of Conduct need to be followed strictly in this regard along with integration of carbon management policies into the operating guidelines for ecotourism. Defining and coordinating the roles of different entities involved in ecotourism from individuals to government agencies, NGOs, business entrepreneurs and organizations and linking them with a country’s national and regional ecotourism associations would provide the required impetus to this sector. Promoting educational opportunities of ecotourism would strengthen the conservation process. 6 Preserving the earth’s biodiversity and resources and uplifting the local economy are what ecotourism aims at and its success or otherwise in the long term is going to be defined by real achievements made in these areas. The very resources on which ecotourism depends are now threatened by human invasion of nature as well as major climactic changes including global warming. But then ecotourism with its focus on sustainable development has the potential to be the leader among the tourism industry as only it can involve the community with the conservation process to create an environment that is sustainable and economically rewarding. In underdeveloped countries, it remains a major source for alleviating poverty by supporting sustainable development. Ecotourism to become a successful venture must have a larger market which means getting more and more tourists to visit the eco destinations. This is to be done without degrading the environment in any way. One way to tackle this challenge is to limit inflow of tourists to destinations with high demands so that the reason for success does not become the cause of destruction. The experience of ecotourism has to combine entertainment with an awareness of the need to conserve resources and community of the visited place. List of References Honey, M. 1998, Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise?, Island Press, Washington, D.C. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Oslo Statement on Ecotourism 2007, Available at: www.ecotourism.org Read More