The Factors which Characterize Ecotourism - Report Example

Running Head: ECOTOURISM Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date Ecotourism Introduction The term Ecotourism was invented in the year 1983 according to Ceballos-Lascurain (1996), and since then it has grown in different ways in different parts of the world. The development of ecotourism in developing countries for instance has everything to do with conservation but very little attention is given to its trade features. According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) (2004), ecotourism is accountable travel to natural habitats that safeguards the natural surroundings and helps enhance the quality of life of the people living in and around those habitats. This definition is one that is largely used by intellectuals and planners and many administrators in developing countries. However, ecotourism is largely a brand that is concerned with activities that simply have to do with travel to natural habitats, and it cannot be said to be any different from other types of tourism that are highly depended on nature. This paper seeks to establish the factors which characterize ecotourism from this perspective. The paper will specifically seek to establish how ecotourism emerged and developed as well as what some of its products are, as a business feature. The emergence and development of ecotourism. Travel and tourism are considerably the fastest growing industries, with international tourists’ arrival reaching 1 billion people in 2010. However, universal advancement of tourism threatens biological and cultural diversity (Wood, 2002) and this in turn has contributed to emergence of a separate market segment of larger travel industry referred as ecotourism. In 1990, The International Ecotourism Society (TEIS) offered a standard definition of ecotourism as Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Though, as ecotourism develops, it has been referred to as a form of tourism based in pristine, fragile, unaltered natural wilderness and rural areas, sometimes to supplement the larger mass tourism (Drumm, A et al., 2004). Like all segments of sustainable tourism, ecotourism is an embryonic niche of tourism evolving with unique ideas and creativity that requires new techniques and approach towards the same. According to Wood (2004), ecotourism began as an untried idea aimed at contributing to conservation of natural resources. The early players were operators selling trips to Kenya, Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and Nepal. Research done in Kenya in 1970s proved that wildlife tourism was far much beneficial than hunting. In the 80s, the increased interests of nature by biologist and nature film documentaries e lead to emergence small guiding business to remote areas. With time, a highly formal industry emerged to assist naturalists and groups in their works. Availability of camping materials in the 80s helped global entrepreneurs to organize and fund special field visits for volunteers, students. They also, trained and hired local people to operate their business in a bid to benefit them. In turn, all these activities resulted to a deeper exploration and business in regard to nature (Drumm, A et al., 2004). Ecotourism operates differently from other market segment of tourism industry. Consequently, it has gained favor as an ideal form of sustainable development. The ability to provide attraction to natural resources without causing harm to natural area, has arguably announced ecotourism as an important tool for protected area management and development. It provides funds which are ploughed back for conservation of ecosystems hence sustainability of tourism. Still, it has grown to be an important economic activity that benefits local people through political and economic empowerment. Moreover, educating visitors on value of a healthy environment and biological diversity, and capability to enhance respect for different cultures and for human rights, has attracted attention to itself. Finally, ecotourism is a potential tool to fights climate change due to it conservatory nature hence the emphasis to retain and develop it (Jiang, 2008). Ecotourism can be said to be an exceedingly optimistic brand name in tourism that is characterized by the concern to promote and proliferate specific ideals and values, the main two being the natural habitats and the welfare of the people living around those natural habitats as opposed to many business activities whose sole aim is profits and monetary factors (Wood, 2002). Many people have however viewed ecotourism as a factor that sees profits and growth in the long term, and especially with reference to achievements that it is capable to bestow on future generations through the conservation of nature and culture which are the two main factors when it comes to the survival of the human race (Jiang, 2008). Much of the costs that building ecotourism has incurred on investors has often been seen as an investment intended for the future. The development of ecotourism has been such that in the year 1992 at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro, ecotourism came into view as a leading option in terms of contributing to solutions of sustainability for developing countries (World Trade Organization (WTO), 2003). In contrast to this view that it largely holds in developing countries is the fact that ecotourism is a critical contributor to some economies such as those of the North and Central American countries and Countries in Europe. Countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also benefited largely from ecotourism. Costa Rica has specifically been praised as an exceptional place where ecotourism started off and a place where its conception was first experimented upon in the 1980s. The success that ecotourism has witnessed has been so immense that it has surpassed that of the main sources of income a country such as Costa Rica which were initially said to be bananas and coffee, and can largely be ascribed to Hector Cebllos-Lascurian, the director general of the International Consultancy on Ecotourism, who has also been a special advisor to the World Conservation Union (TIES, 2004). In the 1990s, ecotourism is said to have grown by an annual percentage of between 20-34%and by the year 2004, its growth is said to have surpassed that of tourism internationally three times over (Yong & Hashrina, 2008). Ecotourism has however not been successful everywhere. More development of the brand has been witnessed in developed countries but much has not been seen to be taking place in developing countries. According to Yong & Hashrina (2008), this can be attributed to the fact that for ecotourim to survive, its strategy has got to be aligned with the globalization factor which is something that developing countries have not yet come into grasps with. Differences in growth of ecotourism in different regions In North America, ecotourism is said to have grown in the background of a regal, miscellaneous and enormous landscape of mountain “ranges, waterfalls, forests and geographical aspects that are said to have been in an immaculate form at a time when the intervention of the state saw the beginning of a process that was meant to protect natural habitats for purposes of conservation and recreation. A culture of sustainability has seen ecotourism grow to magnificent heights in the region since then, which has been supported by strategic leadership. In Europe, most of the lowland areas have changed significantly for the last 3000 years even though mountain areas can be said to be still in a perfect state. The natural scenery in many European countries is therefore largely characterized by local inhabitants and local cultural products. Ecotourism in Europe can therefore be said to be highly connected with rural tourism. Man y of the features and products of ecotourism in Europe vary from place to place due to the different historical, cultural and character aspect of those specific places. The products of ecotourism in Europe are as diverse as the region and they vary from food and wines to handicrafts and even mineral water. In Europe, the development of ecotourism can be attributed to the outcomes of a changing economic and cultural arena and the increasing apprehension for the environment. Developing countries or regions such as Asia, South America and Africa, all have an abundance of ecotourism supporting resources, but the imbalanced control and development of capital have aggravated the inequalities that exist in these regions to the extent that poverty has been said to coexist with rapid wealth and development in these regions. Ecotourism in these regions is not as successful as in other developed regions because of factors such as the loss of native privileges to land, segregation of communities from endeavors related to ecotourism and “green washing”. South East Asia specifically has issues of alienation of local communities from the use of land and other natural resources by political powers that be. The empowerment of local communities has been on the low and their participation in matters of decision making has also been very low, even non-existent. Aside from the factors mentioned above, ecotourism in developing countries is largely a matter of centrally planned projects largely by NGOs, which is largely depended on monetary support from the national budgets and donors (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996). Ecotourism, where it has survived in developing countries has been able to do so only if it has managed to attain political and financial support, and examples include projects such as the “it stays because it pays initiative” in Kenya and the “Rwandan Mountain Gorilla”. Ecotourism products Ecotourism is characterized by a variety of products even though it is a products of tourism on its own. Many of the products are largely environmental such a s natural features. They include; mountains, waterfalls, alps and many other environmental factors that have to do with the conservation of the environment (Yong & Hashrina, 2008). Cultural heritage is also part of ecotourism in many parts of the worlds. The products of ecotourism are however largely depended on the demands of the consumer. For example, many eco-tourists are said to travel to areas where they feel that they will be able to contribute to help save specific natural habitats or even wildlife (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996). Others are likely to be inspired by sea heritage. The motivations are always different for different people and they could be self motivations or “outer public self” in nature. I n the modern world, ecotourism products are increasingly growing to include as many features of the natural habitats as possible as well as landscapes. Cultures are also increasingly becoming a part of the ecotourism products. These features are increasingly being turned into commodities for consumption. In ecotourism, the landscape product is largely the immaculate type which has been untouched when it comes to the visual side of ecotourism, and cultural tangible artifacts that have momentous emblematic appearance when it comes to the interaction side of ecotourism. It is worth noting that ecotourism products are often characterized by the unique features whether of the environment or culture such as the antique, the rare, the ones in danger of extinction, and the outstanding. Many of these products as opposed to the typical tourism product which is basically about sightseeing tend to evoke a certain combination of emotional rejoinders. This factor can be attributed to the fact that Souvenirs are a great part of the ecotourism experience. Many of the products and services also tend to be highly characteristic of the romanticized scenery which is mainly characterized by restoration factors when it comes to lost virtue. Mass media, particularly movies have also become a part of the ecotourism products and it has become such strong emotional impact on consumers to visit places where a movie they have watched was made. Being in those places and gazing at the scenery where the actual action took place gives the consumer a sense of castle in the sky. The products of ecotourism are diversii=fied and as globalization and the internet space grows, the future is likely to witness greater growth and diversification of ecotourism products. Conclusion Ecotourism is largely a means of sustainable development in developing countries but in already developed countries, there is a business side to it. It is largely nature tourism but one which has a conservation and social development connotation to it. Ecotourism is a type of tourism that is largely depended on principles and values and as such, it demands that circumstances should be right for it to thrive as has been shown in this paper. List of References (TIES), T. i. (2004). Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism. CSED/TIES. Ceballos-Lascurain, H. (1996). Tourism, ecotourism and protected areas: the state of nature-based tourism around the world and guidelines for its development. Cambridge: IUCN & The World Conservation Union. Drumm, A. M. (2004). The Business of Ecotourism Developmnet and Management. Arlington, Virginia: The Nature Conservancy. Jiang, J. (2008). Evaluation of the Potential of Ecotourism to Contribute to Local Sstaibale Development: A case study of Tengtou Village, China. Wellington: Massey University, New Zealand. Wood, M. E. (2002). ECOTOURISM: Principles, Practices & Polices for sustainability. Paris: UNEP: Divison of Technology, Industry and Economics. World Trade Organization (WTO). (2003). Assessment of the Results Achieved in Realizing Aims and Objectives of the International year of Ecotourism. Report to the UN General Assembly, 58th Session, Item 12. Available at: http://www.world-tourism.org/sustainable/IYE/IYE-Rep-UN-GA.htm. Yong, G., & Hashrina, N. (2008). STRATEGIES FOR ECOTOURISM: WORKING WITH GLOBALIZATION. SouthEast Asia Vol 8 , 35-52. Read More

The early players were operators selling trips to Kenya, Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and Nepal. Research done in Kenya in 1970s proved that wildlife tourism was far much beneficial than hunting. In the 80s, the increased interests of nature by biologist and nature film documentaries e lead to emergence small guiding business to remote areas. With time, a highly formal industry emerged to assist naturalists and groups in their works. Availability of camping materials in the 80s helped global entrepreneurs to organize and fund special field visits for volunteers, students.

They also, trained and hired local people to operate their business in a bid to benefit them. In turn, all these activities resulted to a deeper exploration and business in regard to nature (Drumm, A et al., 2004). Ecotourism operates differently from other market segment of tourism industry. Consequently, it has gained favor as an ideal form of sustainable development. The ability to provide attraction to natural resources without causing harm to natural area, has arguably announced ecotourism as an important tool for protected area management and development.

It provides funds which are ploughed back for conservation of ecosystems hence sustainability of tourism. Still, it has grown to be an important economic activity that benefits local people through political and economic empowerment. Moreover, educating visitors on value of a healthy environment and biological diversity, and capability to enhance respect for different cultures and for human rights, has attracted attention to itself. Finally, ecotourism is a potential tool to fights climate change due to it conservatory nature hence the emphasis to retain and develop it (Jiang, 2008).

Ecotourism can be said to be an exceedingly optimistic brand name in tourism that is characterized by the concern to promote and proliferate specific ideals and values, the main two being the natural habitats and the welfare of the people living around those natural habitats as opposed to many business activities whose sole aim is profits and monetary factors (Wood, 2002). Many people have however viewed ecotourism as a factor that sees profits and growth in the long term, and especially with reference to achievements that it is capable to bestow on future generations through the conservation of nature and culture which are the two main factors when it comes to the survival of the human race (Jiang, 2008).

Much of the costs that building ecotourism has incurred on investors has often been seen as an investment intended for the future. The development of ecotourism has been such that in the year 1992 at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro, ecotourism came into view as a leading option in terms of contributing to solutions of sustainability for developing countries (World Trade Organization (WTO), 2003). In contrast to this view that it largely holds in developing countries is the fact that ecotourism is a critical contributor to some economies such as those of the North and Central American countries and Countries in Europe.

Countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also benefited largely from ecotourism. Costa Rica has specifically been praised as an exceptional place where ecotourism started off and a place where its conception was first experimented upon in the 1980s. The success that ecotourism has witnessed has been so immense that it has surpassed that of the main sources of income a country such as Costa Rica which were initially said to be bananas and coffee, and can largely be ascribed to Hector Cebllos-Lascurian, the director general of the International Consultancy on Ecotourism, who has also been a special advisor to the World Conservation Union (TIES, 2004).

In the 1990s, ecotourism is said to have grown by an annual percentage of between 20-34%and by the year 2004, its growth is said to have surpassed that of tourism internationally three times over (Yong & Hashrina, 2008). Ecotourism has however not been successful everywhere.

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