Ecotourism

Ecotourism refers to outdoor recreation, sightseeing, and guided natural history studies in remote or fragile natural areas, or archeological and cultural sites. Ecotourism usually involves travel to engage in activities such as trekking and hiking, diving, mountaineering, biking, and paddling, while exploring a region's natural highlights, observing native animals, and learning about the area's natural history. Ecotourists may also visit local cultural and historical sites, and even participate in cultural activities. Many ecotours employ native guides and interpreters who can help visitors fully appreciate the natural and cultural significance of their experience.

Ecotourism and sustainable development

Ecotourism is touted as a successful tool for promoting sustainable economic practices in developing nations, and for encouraging environmental conservation worldwide. The guiding principle of sustainable development is to meet the needs and aspirations of a region's present generation of people without compromising those of future generations. Sustainable development policies also seek to develop economic systems that run with little or no net consumption of natural resources, and that avoid ecological damage. Ecotourism, like other successful sustainable development strategies, provides a strong economic incentive to protect natural resources. Economies that depend on ecotourism dollars have an obvious interest in preserving the natural and culture features that these amateur naturalists and explorers pay to see. Furthermore, the environmental impacts and resource needs of ecotourism, which include development of trail systems and access roads, use of fuel and vehicles for transportation to and from the wilderness, and establishment of campsites, are minimal, especially when compared to the land use practices that commercial nature travel often replaces. Finally, the firsthand experience of traveling in the wilderness, of observing natural complexity, and of reflecting on the fragility of ecosystems stressed by human uses often gives ecotourists and their local guides a new perspective on the value of environmental preservation and resource conservation.

A number of international organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Conservation International, support ecotourism as a component of their sustainable development and environmental conservation strategies. In fact, 2002 was designated as the International Year of Ecotourism. While many governments and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) promote ecotourism, they also caution that ecotourism must be practiced correctly in order to provide positive results for the region involved, and for the tour's participants. Many of the activities offered by ecotourism companies, including high-altitude mountaineering, whitewater paddling, diving, and travel in the remote wilderness, are inherently dangerous, and require highly skilled guides. Furthermore, some of the Earth's most remarkable natural features exist in politically unstable nations, where international visitors may be unwelcome, or even unsafe. Ecotourism, practiced incorrectly, can also cause significant environmental damage. A safari hunt for an endangered animal in a country that has lax conservation laws , for example, is not a sustainable ecotour. Finally, ecotourism enterprises that exploit another region's natural and cultural resources without contributing to the local economy do not meet the criteria for sustainable development. If none of the tourists' money goes to the local businesses or conservation agencies, then often-poorer countries bear the financial responsibility of providing protected natural and cultural sites for wealthy foreigners to visit, but receive none of the financial reward. Organizations like the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the International Ecotourism Society (IES) investigate various ecotourism enterprises, and can provide potential ecotourists with valuable guidance in choosing a company to guide them on a safe, sustainable adventure.

Ecotourism enterprises

Many private companies offer a wide variety of ecotours, as do a number of development and conservation-related NGOs. These businesses often enlist the logistical and marketing assistance of government agencies in the countries where their tours take place. Ecotourism companies typically supply a number of services to their clients: transportation to and from remote venues, food and cooking, lodging, local guiding, outdoor skills training, and expert interpretation of natural and cultural features. These services promote in-depth exploration of the natural and cultural sites on the itinerary, minimize environmental impact, and allow clients to travel safely and comfortably in remote or environmentally fragile areas.

Ecotours are available to all types of potential adventures with all kinds of interests. Ecotourists can visit and explore all seven continents, and all four oceans. The National Geographic Society, for example, lists some of its top destinations for October, 2002: hiking Machu Picchu and Peru, cruising the Galapagos Islands, exploring the Alaskan Frontier, visiting the pyramids of Egypt, diving in the Caribbean, and photographing South African wildlife . Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Institution offers study trips to hundreds of locations including Patagonia, Antarctica and Falklands, the rivers of West Africa , Tahiti and Polynesia, Yellowstone, Baja California, Australia , and the Southern Amazon. Some ecotours are athletically strenuous, some are luxurious, and some are scientific. There are outfits that offer adventures for travelers on all types of budgets. There is also a wide range of ecotourism and outdoor education activities available to high school and college students. Some of these programs, including the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and Semester at Sea, offer high school and college credit for their courses. Other programs allow students to participate in international conservation efforts and natural science expeditions. Many schools and universities even offer their own off-campus programs to augment natural, environmental, and social science curricula.

See also Ecological economics; Ecological integrity; Ecological monitoring; Ecological productivity.

Resources

books

Elander, M., and S. Widstrand. Eco-Touring: The UltimateGuide. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, 1997.

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

Harris, Rob, Ernie Heath, Lorin Toepper, and Peter Williams. Sustainable Tourism. A Marketing Perspective. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998.

Honey, M. Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? Washington, DC: Island Press, 1998.

organizations

Conservation International. 1919 M Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036. (800) 406–2306. <http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/home>

The International Ecotourism Society. P.O. Box 668, Burlington, VT 05402. (802) 651–9818. <http://www.ecotourism.org>

The National Outdoor Leadership School. 284 Lincoln St., Lander, WY 82520-2848. (307) 332–5300. <http://www.nols.org>

Semester at Sea—Institute for Shipboard Education. 811 William Pitt Union, Pittsburg, PA 15260. (412) 648–7490. <http://www.semesteratsea.com>

other

National Geographic Institution. "National Geographic Expe ditions" [cited October 28, 2002]. <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngexpeditions/>.

Smithsonian Institution. "Smithsonian Study Tours" [cited October 28, 2002]. <http://smithsonianstudytours.org/sst/start.htm.>.

United Nations Environmental Programme Production and Consumptin Unit, Tourism. "International Year of Ecotourism 2002." June 25, 2002 [cited October 28, 2002]. <http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/ecotourism/iye.htm.>. World Tourism Organisation. "The Leading Organization in the

World of Tourism and Travel" [cited October 29, 2002]. <http://www.world-tourism.org/.>.

Bill Freedman

Laurie Duncan

KEY TERMS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ecotourism

—Ecology-based tourism, focused primarily on natural or cultural resources.

Sustainable development

—Development that meets the needs and aspirations of the present generation, without compromising those of future ones.