Introduction of Alternative Tourism Industries - Essay Example

Alternative tourism; towards economic sustainability and improve life quality Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission Abstract It is no doubt that tourism plays an integral role both in the economic growth and eventual improvement of living standards of the people across the globe. Whether in the developing or the developed world, tourism has evolved to become a vital contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) of these countries and enhancing the quality of life of the area’s inhabitants. This can be attributed to the fact that elevated tourism industry not only leads to increased employment opportunities but also culminates in improved foreign exchange by different countries. In the developing countries, this has been evident in past decades whereby according to Samimi, Sadeghi and Sadeghi (2011), tourism accounted for over 40% of all service exports which favorably positions it as the highest category in global trade. Estimates have pointed to the fact that tourism has in the recent past been contribution between 3-10% of the GDP in the developing countries. This case has been replicable in the developed countries despite the fact that the overreliance on tourism as a primary source of national income is relatively minimal when compared to the developing countries. This paper is thus a profound effort to evaluate whether the instigation of alternative tourism industries into rural and regional areas is by any means a way of creating sustainability to the local economies and the quality of life of the area’s inhabitants. The primary focus will be on the developing countries although a cross examination with the developed world will be explored. Keywords: Tourism, Sustainability, Rural, Developing Alternative tourism; towards economic sustainability and improve life quality United Nations World Tourism Organization (2006) determined that the worldwide tourism industry has recorded an exemplary growth in the last century, seeing a tremendous rise from 534 million arrivals in 950 to 808 million in 2005 which represents a phenomenal average annual growth of 6.5 percent. In 2005, the overall revenues from tourism in the world were $676 billion where Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America accounted for $348.8, $134.5, $26.3,$21.7 and $17.0 billion respectively. This represented 51.6%, 19.9%, 3.9%, 3.1% and 2.5% respectively for these regions over the same period (Fayissa, Nsiah & Tadesse, 2009). This reveals a sharp expansion of the tourism industry where its importance has varying margins across different countries in the world. But perhaps the imperative role played by tourism in the growth of the national economy is cemented on the fact that this industry is multidisciplinary, thus involving several industries. In this regard, the tourism industry acquires most of its rudimentary skills from a variety of industries, for instance, transport, communication and environment among others, spreading over an expanse section of the society when compared to other sectors in the economy which are usually confined in specific areas (Telce & Schroenn, 2006). The recent proposals on the fundamental introduction of alternative tourism industries to promote sustainable economic growth and improved quality of life in the rural and regional set-ups has spurred a discourse on the role of this proposed industry to the betterment of life for the inhabitants in these areas. Some of the proponents have argued that the future of ecotourism is integral to economic sustainability while criticism has been raised against this presumption based on certain principle, practices and policies of sustainability. Against this background, this analysis will explore some of the sustainable merits associated with the alternative ecotourism industry as a means of spurring economic growth and betterment of the people’s living standards in the areas of introduction. It will also present a critical approach to this alternative tourism industry mostly founded on the tenets of sustainability. Overview of ecotourism It is worth noting that the basic origin of the concept of ecotourism remains a maze to be demystified but one of the earliest sources that have made a significant discussion appeared in the work by Hetzer (1965) where there was precise identification of the four primary pillars on which responsible tourism is founded on. These pillars include the minimization of the environmental impacts, maximization of benefits to the local people, respect of the host’s culture and the maximization of the host satisfaction (Blamey, 2001). But perhaps the most inclusive definition of ecotourism was proposed by Brandon (1996) who determined that ecotourism is a responsible visitation and travel to natural areas which are basically relatively undisturbed aimed at enjoying and appreciating the nature that promotes conservation. These areas often have low negative impact from the visitors and gives provisions for the active social and economic involvement of the local population. Wood (2002) cited that ecotourism has elevated in terms of importance in the wider travel industry and in the process captured a paramount niche due to its potential and capacity as an imperative tool of sustainable development. Several factors have been attributed to the emergence and increased trends towards ecotourism in the recent past. Two factors have been proposed by experts in regard to this dynamism. Firstly, its emergence can be connected to the environmental movements of the 1970s and 1980s which elevated the magnitude of environmental awareness among the diverse populations in the globe. Secondly, its heightened popularity can be linked to the increased dissatisfaction of travelers with mass tourism as a result of overdevelopment which is associated with immense environmental pollution and the brutal invasion of the cultured and serene environments by outsiders who are generally insensitive to culture and pose economic disruption impacts (Orams, 1995; Honey, 1995). Therefore, it is apparent that the interplay between heightened environmental awareness and in-depth dissatisfaction with mass tourism has ensured that ecotourism become of age in the wider contemporary tourism industry. Wood (2002) supported this presumption by citing that with multi billion dollars in terms of annual revenue, ecotourism is a real industry that is in search of opportunities to take advantage of the market trends that have been characterized by dynamism in the recent past. This has informed diverse policy foundations in different countries which seeks to incorporate the four basic tenets of ecotourism previously mentioned. This is best exemplified by a closer look into Australia. Wearing and Huyskens (2001) noted that with an elevated focus on the natural resources and cultural tourism (basically referred to ecotourism) within the larger Australia, there has been a concern to address the fundamental issues in the policies of park management. This is founded on the fact that tourism pressure can pose significant corollaries on the cultural and natural resources of different parks, over-spilling to the local aboriginal communities themselves. This has been perceived as the joint management framework whose application has elicited massive support from policies whose formulation is within the confines of ecotourism principles as well as extensive interdisciplinary research in the entire realm of social sciences (Wearing & Huyskens, 2001). Similar approach has been replicable in Costa Rica whereby the government has been engaged in extensive efforts to enhance the entire systems of park management. However, despite this reformative approach, these efforts remain under relative neglect as a result of insufficient and ineffective funding which further exposes these parks to extended degradation. The incapacity and eventual crippling of the park management system in this country has been as a result of the persistent economic challenges, especially explosive margins of foreign debts (Weaver, 1999). Wood (2002) suggested that the underlying principles which are inherent in ecotourism have been instrumental in the new standard setting for the tourism industry in different countries. Albeit these standards continue in their evolutionally path, much remains to be achieved in order to ensure that sustainability is attained and maintained for the benefit of the rural and regional inhabitants of the areas where this alternative form of tourism industry has been established and taken roots. In order to gain a comprehensive insight into the benefits posed by ecotourism in the socio-economic set-up of the local people where it has been embedded in terms of sustained local economies and improved life quality, this scope of analysis in this paper will be limited developing countries, aimed at a comprehensive focus on the role played by ecotourism in creating sustainability of the local economies and improving the quality of life among people in these regions. Ecotourism in developing countries; case study of East African region It is worth noting that the East African Community (EAC) is basically comprised of three countries, namely Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, though recent efforts have been advanced to incorporate Rwanda and Burundi in the wider trading block. Three major reasons have been cited to be the primary propellers of the divergent tourism market between the three original countries in the East African region. Watkin (2002) determined that the closure of the common border between these three countries resulted in independent development of their distinct tourism sectors. Secondly, Kenya instituted a ban on trophy hunting which resulted in the shutting down of the previously prominent sport hunting industry. Lastly, the civil conflicts in Uganda under the rule of Amin meant that the tourism industry in Kenya and Tanzania were propelled on different paths. The emergence of ecotourism in this region, most notably in Kenya came into existence after the widespread coastal holidays and photographic wildlife safaris which were the key characteristics of the mass tourism sector in this country. Despite some impediments in its initial establishment, ecotourism has evolved into becoming the sub-sector in the wider tourism sector which has experienced the fastest growth whereby the principles surrounding this form of sub-industry have continued to evolve in line with the four pillars of ecotourism previously mentioned (Watkin, 2002). Ecotourism has played some fundamental role in the enhancement of the economic capacity and improving the quality of life among communities in East African region. Watkin (2002) noted that some of these benefits. Firstly, ecotourism has been key in enhancing the capacity in the local communities through education, creation of awareness and thus paramount in the development of human capital in these areas. This knowledge empowerment of the local inhabitants, mostly in the rural areas has been instrumental in increasing their employability both inside and outside the ecotourism industry. The above benefit has formed the background of the objectives founding the establishment of ecotourism in the rural set-up of the East African countries. This is evidenced by Long and Langoya (1997) who determined that the major objective behind the establishment of the Budongo Forest ecotourism project in Uganda was to elevate the knowledge capacity and awareness of the local community about the basic tenets of conserving the forest through an extension and education service. Ecotourism is also instrumental in development of market for selling artifacts which are produced by the community (Watkin, 2002). In this case, ecotourism is imperative in providing a reliable market for the products produced by the local communities in the regions where it has experienced successful establishment. In the case of Budongo Forest ecotourism project, Long and Langoya (1997) determined that local women have found an ideal market for the handicrafts which they produce. These women are often in groups which have even expressed an interest in managing the catering processes in the tourist sites which usually have a high frequency of visitors. This fact is supported by Stem et. al (2003) who determined that ecotourism helps local businesses increase their overall revenue base through bringing the people closer to the local market. It is thus an imperative and a low-cost mechanism for the local businesses and artisans to market and sell their goods. Therefore, it is apparent that ecotourism provides an opportunity for commercial activities which go a long way in uplifting the economic foundation of the local inhabitants where these sites are situated. This is coupled with motivating the production capacity in these areas since the community is assured of a ready market for the products that emanate from its diverse projects. Ecotourism has also been key in opening up employment opportunities for the local people and in the process improving their quality of life through providing a reliable source of income. The aspect of elevated employment to the local community prompted by diversification of ecotourism is revealed by Wearing (2001) who determined that through ecotourism, some primary opportunities for employment are made manifest which include but not limited to tour operations, park rangers, hotel servicing, government agency staff and craft making among others. This has been evident in diverse ecosystem sites in the wider East African region whereby the local communities provide the primary source of human capital, for instance, in the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya, the local community has been widely involved in operations like tour guiding and being park rangers. This is justified by their continued historical existence in these particular areas, making them more conversant with the geographic and wildlife reality in these areas. These employment opportunities provide a sustainable source of income to members of these communities eventually improving the life quality in these areas. Watkin (2002) also noted that ecotourism has been an integral generator of revenue for community development in regard to education, family planning and general healthcare. These revenues are created from park entry fee among other sources. Revenue emanating from ecotourism in the East African region has played a big role in the development of the local communities through enabling the establishment of basic infrastructure like schools and hospitals. This has culminated in extensive improvement of the quality of life among the local communities, for instance, the established health centers has made a major impact in reducing the rate of infant mortality and morbidity in these regions. However, despite these extensive benefits associated with the instigation of ecotourism in the developing countries, major challenges still exist make this practice correspond with the four principles of ecotourism. Unsustainable ecotourism in developing countries In spite of all the benefits that have been associated with increased ecotourism in the developing countries, this new alternative from the mainstream tourism provides some major impediments that continue to threaten the sustainability of local economies while at the same time posing negative impacts on the quality of life in the regions where it has been established. The analysis in this section will focus on some of these shortcomings which can be key in validating the presumptions by critics of ecotourism that this tourism sub-sector only serves the interest of the foreigners and detrimental to the societal welfare and wellbeing. Cultural erosion Watkin (2002) determined that the advent of ecotourism in a community posed adverse effects on the cultural set-up of the local community. This is whereby the local community may be confronted with the obligation of altering their cultural orientation aimed at satisfying the interest of the foreigners which can have diabolical impacts in affecting the quality of life in these regions. This fact is supported by Place (1998) who determined that the local communities may be under immense pressure to engage in modification of their traditional cultures, for instance, religion, clothing and handicrafts among other cultural tenets in order to be well positioned to meet the cultural expectations and standards as set by the foreign tourists. In this regard, developments in these regions can be viewed to serve foreign interests rather than elevating the quality of life of the local people. This erodes the sustainability possibility of the advancements instigated by the introduction of the alternative tourism industry. This has also been in the case in the efforts to promote ecotourism. For instance in Australia, recent policies in the management of natural packs have been formulated and implemented in the background of the cognition that national packs remains not only as natural resources which call for extensive protection and conservation but also resources upon which the indigenous people possess a feasible claim to living rights and maintenance of their cultural tradition (Wearing & Huyskens, 2001). Population displacement The advent of ecotourism has necessitated the need to create more space for the creation of parks in the rural areas. As a result, local people who primarily depended on these natural environments are excluded from accessing them. In this regard, ecotourism beats one of its most basic pillars of establishment which is maximization of the host satisfaction. According to DeGeorges and Reilly (2009), it is an unfortunate situation whereby in Africa alone, it is estimated that been between 14 million to as much as 39.5 million people who have been turned into internally displaced people (IDPs) as a result of increased efforts to create parks in protected areas aimed at the promotion of ecotourism. Consequently, rather than this alternative tourism industry becoming a source of sustainable economic growth and betterment of the quality of life among the local people, it has been exploited to increase more misery to them due to its increased commercialization and disregard of societal needs and wants. This contradicts one of the most rudimentary pillars of ecotourism which is the maximization of benefits for the local people. Revenue ‘leaking’ This is another major concern that has shed doubt on the validity and transparency in the practice of ecotourism and its eventual beneficial impact to the sustainability of the economic advancement by the local communities. It is worth noting that this phenomenon has mostly been predominant in the developing countries, though even the developed ones have experienced this impact to some extent. The concept of ‘leaking revenue’ can be perceived in the dimension whereby in most cases, the revenue accumulated from ecotourism ‘leaks’ away back to the countries which sent the tourists, thus drifting away from the local population. As a result, the local people in these regions end up realizing minimal or no benefits from this venture (Long & Langoya, 1997). This ‘leaking’ can be perceived in the sense that the revenue gained from the ecotourism activities is primarily put into utility in the acquisition of new technology to be used in the management of these packs and in the most unfortunate cases, hiring of ‘competent’ personnel to run and manage these packs. In addition, these tourist-sending countries are engaged in the development of major infrastructure in these regions, for instance, hotels in packs, communication and transport infrastructure among other things. Against this background, a big part of the revenue gained from the diverse activities in the ecotourism industry end up flowing trickling back to the countries which send the tourists rather than playing an important role in the community development projects in these rural, and often neglected regions. Environmental impacts Weaver (1999) noted that one of the dangers that are usually posed by ecotourism is its actual effect on intensifying the pressure on the areas which are environmentally sensitive. This is based on the fact that most of the ecotourism projects culminate in being over-vehement and end up congesting the natural areas with visitors which has a negative impact in accelerating the magnitude of environmental degradation. The chief contributors to environmental degradation can be perceived to include excessive disposition of waste products, most of which are usually non-biodegradable, ineffective sewage treatment methods, utilization of non-renewable energy sources like firewood which pose environmental hazards as a result of high levels of carbon emission, noise pollution among other factors. Consequently, there can be surpassing of the local carrying capacity which can be brought about by the damaging outcomes of increased and uncontrolled ecotourism, for instance erosion of animal trails, destruction of habitat, degradation of the forests and generation of solid waste (Lindsey, 2003). This has been majorly prevalent in the developing world where mechanisms for waste management have been overly inefficient and ineffective. Interplay of these factors usually poses some detrimental impacts to these natural resources as well as the local population. It thus contradicts another pillar of ecotourism which is minimization of the environmental impacts. All the above are some of the negative impacts associated with this alternative tourism industry which in turn affects sustainable economic advancement and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants in the areas where it is embraced, either with a top-down or bottom-up approaches to community development. However, it is worth noting that most of these challenges can be effectively surmounted in case of careful planning and management of the natural environment which can provide sustainable returns much of which can lead in the favorable advancement of the local communities as well as contribute to the national economic growth. Conclusion Ecotourism has marked the advent of an alternative tourism industry which deviates from the traditional perception of mass tourism. Several factors including environmental awareness campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s and the increased dissatisfaction can be attributed to have resulted in the development of ecotourism. This sub-sector of the mainstream tourism has played a fundamental role in ensuring sustainable economic growth and enhancement of life quality among inhabitants of the areas and regions where it has been embraced, both in the developed and the developing countries. Nonetheless, ecotourism has received wide criticism for resulting in environmental degradation, cultural erosion and displacement of local communities, all which have far-reaching short and long-term negative impacts in the sustainable economic growth among members of these communities. However, efficiency, transparency and effective in the management of these natural resources can result in positive gains by the communities from ecotourism. This calls for diverse interventions like policy change, community sensitization among others aimed and streamlining this imperative industry. References Blamey, RK. 2001, ‘Principles of Ecotourism’ in Encyclopedia of Ecotourism ed, David B. Weaver, CABI Publishing, New York, pp. 5-22. Brandon, K. 1996, Ecotourism and Conservation: A Review of Key Issues, The World Bank, Washington, DC. DeGeorges, PA, & Reilly BK., 2009, ‘The Realities of Community Based Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa’, Sustainability, vol. 1, pp. 734-788. Fayissa, B., Nsiah, C. & Tadesse, B. 2009, Tourism and Economic Growth in Latin American Countries (LAC): Further Empirical Evidence, Department of Economics and Finance Working Paper Series, Murfreesboro. Honey, M. 1999, Ecotourism and Sustainable Development. Who owns Paradise?, Island Press, Washington D.C. Lindsey, HE. 2003, ‘Ecotourism: Promise and Perils of Environmentally-Oriented Travel’, Cambridge Scientific Abstracts. Hot Topics Series, February. Long, CD. & Langoya, C. 1997, ‘Rural Development Forestry Network’. Available from: < http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/docs/1172.pdf>. (12 April, 2012). Orams, MB, 1995, ‘Towards a more desirable form of ecotourism’, Tourism Management, vol.16, no.1, pp. 3-8. Place, S., 1998, ‘How sustainable is ecotourism in Costa Rica? In Sustainable Tourism: A Geographic Perspective, Hall, CM & Lew,AA., Eds, Addison Wesley Longman, New York, pp. 107- 118. Samimi, AJ. Sadeghi, S. & Sadeghi, S. 2011, ‘Tourism and Economic Growth in Developing Countries: P-VAR Approach’, Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 10, no.1, pp. 28-32. Stem, et al., 2003, ‘How “Eco” is Ecotourism? A Comparative Case Study of Ecotourism in Costa Rica’ Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 11, no.4. Telce, YH. & Schroenn, JL. 2006, ‘The Contribution of HRD to Tourism-Led Development in an African Context’, South Africa Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, vol. 4, pp. 444-457. United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2006, “Africa: A Key Resource for Economic and Social Development,” Global Envision, October 16, 2006 Watkin, JR, 2003, The Evolution of Ecotourism in East Africa: From an Idea to an Industry, International Institute for Environment and Development, London. Wearing, S. 2001, ‘Exploring Socio-cultural Impacts on Local Communities’ in Encyclopedia of Ecotourism ed, David BW, CABI Publishing, New York, pp. 395-410. Wearing, S. & Huyskens, M. 2001, Moving On from the Joint Management policy Regimes in Australian National Parks, University of Technology, Sydney. Weaver, DB. 1999, ‘Magnitude of Ecotourism in Costa Rica and Kenya’ Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 26, no.4, pp.792-816. Wood, ME, 2002, Ecotourism; principles, practices & policies for sustainability, United Nations Environment Program, Paris. Read More

Against this background, this analysis will explore some of the sustainable merits associated with the alternative ecotourism industry as a means of spurring economic growth and betterment of the people’s living standards in the areas of introduction. It will also present a critical approach to this alternative tourism industry mostly founded on the tenets of sustainability. Overview of ecotourism It is worth noting that the basic origin of the concept of ecotourism remains a maze to be demystified but one of the earliest sources that have made a significant discussion appeared in the work by Hetzer (1965) where there was precise identification of the four primary pillars on which responsible tourism is founded on.

These pillars include the minimization of the environmental impacts, maximization of benefits to the local people, respect of the host’s culture and the maximization of the host satisfaction (Blamey, 2001). But perhaps the most inclusive definition of ecotourism was proposed by Brandon (1996) who determined that ecotourism is a responsible visitation and travel to natural areas which are basically relatively undisturbed aimed at enjoying and appreciating the nature that promotes conservation.

These areas often have low negative impact from the visitors and gives provisions for the active social and economic involvement of the local population. Wood (2002) cited that ecotourism has elevated in terms of importance in the wider travel industry and in the process captured a paramount niche due to its potential and capacity as an imperative tool of sustainable development. Several factors have been attributed to the emergence and increased trends towards ecotourism in the recent past.

Two factors have been proposed by experts in regard to this dynamism. Firstly, its emergence can be connected to the environmental movements of the 1970s and 1980s which elevated the magnitude of environmental awareness among the diverse populations in the globe. Secondly, its heightened popularity can be linked to the increased dissatisfaction of travelers with mass tourism as a result of overdevelopment which is associated with immense environmental pollution and the brutal invasion of the cultured and serene environments by outsiders who are generally insensitive to culture and pose economic disruption impacts (Orams, 1995; Honey, 1995).

Therefore, it is apparent that the interplay between heightened environmental awareness and in-depth dissatisfaction with mass tourism has ensured that ecotourism become of age in the wider contemporary tourism industry. Wood (2002) supported this presumption by citing that with multi billion dollars in terms of annual revenue, ecotourism is a real industry that is in search of opportunities to take advantage of the market trends that have been characterized by dynamism in the recent past. This has informed diverse policy foundations in different countries which seeks to incorporate the four basic tenets of ecotourism previously mentioned.

This is best exemplified by a closer look into Australia. Wearing and Huyskens (2001) noted that with an elevated focus on the natural resources and cultural tourism (basically referred to ecotourism) within the larger Australia, there has been a concern to address the fundamental issues in the policies of park management. This is founded on the fact that tourism pressure can pose significant corollaries on the cultural and natural resources of different parks, over-spilling to the local aboriginal communities themselves.

This has been perceived as the joint management framework whose application has elicited massive support from policies whose formulation is within the confines of ecotourism principles as well as extensive interdisciplinary research in the entire realm of social sciences (Wearing & Huyskens, 2001). Similar approach has been replicable in Costa Rica whereby the government has been engaged in extensive efforts to enhance the entire systems of park management.

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