Ecotourism Definition:

Ecotourism is a relatively new concept; Definition of

Ecotourism was established by The (International)
Ecotourism Society in 1990:

‘Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves

the environment and improves the well-being of
local people’.
 Ecotourism Definition:

Most recently (1999), Martha Honey has proposed

an excellent, more detailed version:

‘Ecotourism is travel to fragile, pristine and usually

protected areas that strives to be low impact and
(usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveler;
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’.
 Ecotourism Definition:

• However, consensus exists among organizations involved

with ecotourism (including The Nature Conservancy)
around the definition adopted in 1996 by the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) which describes ecotourism
as:
• ‘Environmentally responsible travel and visitation to
natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature
(and any accompanying cultural features, both past and
present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor
impact and provide for beneficially active socio-
economic involvement of local peoples’.
 Ecotourism Area Management

An important tool for protected area management and development,

ecotourism must be implemented in a flexible manner. However, the
following elements are crucial to the ultimate success of an ecotourism
initiative. Ecotourism must:
 have a low impact upon a protected area’s natural resources;
 involve stakeholders (individuals, communities, eco-tourists, tour
operators and government institutions) in the planning, development,
implementation and monitoring phases;
 respect local cultures and traditions;
 generate sustainable and equitable income for local communities and for
as many other stakeholders as possible, including private tour operators;
 generate income for protected area conservation; and
 educate all stakeholders about their role in conservation.
 The Role of Ecotourism

 Tourism and ecotourism are usually a part of the management strategy for a
protected area. The degree to which tourism activities are pursued depends
upon the priority assigned to them by the area management, which in turn
should be guided by a planning document pre- pared for that purpose.

 The planning document (or management plan) should be the result of a

comprehensive evaluation of the area’s natural and cultural resource base.

 It determines the stresses, their sources and the real threats to the area’s
natural and cultural integrity, as well as the strategies to reduce these threats.
The plan should define the area’s long-term management objectives and a
zoning scheme that identifies where certain activities may take place.
 The Role of Ecotourism
What we have is a coming together of two different forces to
create a symbiotic relationship: ecotourism needs protected
areas, and protected areas need ecotourism.
Ecotourism is increasingly being considered as a management
strategy for protected areas that, if implemented appropriately,
constitutes an ideal sustainable activity. It is designed to:
 have minimum impact upon the ecosystem;
 contribute economically to local communities;
 be respectful of local cultures;
 be developed using participatory processes which involve all
stakeholders; and
 be monitored in order to detect negative and positive impacts.
 Eco Tourism Area Management: Conventional
Tourism & Eco Tourism
 Conventional tourism sometimes appears as a source of stress on the
biodiversity of a protected area.
ecotourism can be regarded as an appropriate strategy for addressing
threats to conservation targets. Nature tourists are presently going to
protected areas in growing numbers. This is impotent to control
tourism’s negative impacts. Even if elaborate visitor centers and
extensive tourism businesses are not created, measures must be taken
to ensure that these growing numbers of visitors do not negatively
impact the biodiversity values of a protected area. These measures
include:
 increasing staff, developing monitoring systems and refining
environmental education efforts.
 Managing visitors and minimizing impacts is a primary responsibility
of protected area managers.
 Eco Tourism Management: Economic benefit

 Ecotourism can capture economic benefits for protected

areas. Visitors with no place to spend money are missed
opportunities. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of potential
revenue currently are being lost both to protected area
management and local communities because tourists do not
have adequate opportunities to pay fees and buy goods and
services.
 Goal of Eco Tourism

Ecotourism can become an important force for improving

relations between local communities and protected area
administrations. This relationship is perhaps the most difficult
aspect of ecotourism since it involves levels of communication
by implementing ecotourism in protected areas.
 We are demonstrating that tourism need not be massive and
destructive. We are demonstrating that, even within the
fragile environment of protected areas, sustainable
development can work.
 Principal of Ecotourism

 Nature-Based: Ecotourism is based on the natural environment with a

focus on the biological, physical and cultural features. Ecotourism occurs
in and depends on a natural setting and may include cultural elements
where they occur in a natural setting. The conservation of the natural
resource is essential to the planning, development and management of
ecotourism.

 Ecologically sustainable: All tourism should be sustainable- ecologically,

socially and environmentally. Ecotourism is ecologically sustainable
tourism undertake in a natural setting. This involves ensuring that the
type, location and the level of ecotourism use does not cause harm to a
natural area.
 Principal of Ecotourism

 Environmentally Educative: The educative characteristic of ecotourism is a

key element which distinguishes it from other forms of nature- based
tourism. Environmental education and interpretation are important tools in
creating an enjoyable and meaningful ecotourism experience.

 Locally Beneficial: The involvement of local communities not only benefits

the community and the environment but also improves the quality of the
tourist experience. Local communities can become involved in ecotourism
operations and in the provision of knowledge, services, facilities and
products. Ecotourism can also generate income for resource conservation
management in addition to social and cultural benefit.

 Tourist Satisfaction: Satisfaction of visitors with the ecotourism experience

is essential to long term viability to the ecotourism industry. The ecotourism
experience should match or exceed the realistic expectations of the visitor.
 Ecotourism: Type
3. Popular Ecotourism
This type of ecotourism involves the transport of larger numbers of visitors
to, through or across a country’s best known and most popular natural
attractions. It relies on high- capacity mechanized forms of transport buses
and large boats. There are low requirements for self-reliance and the
degree of challenge is generally low. There may be substantial
requirements for supporting infrastructure and service( Visitor centers,
food and drink outlets , boardwalks and toilets). This style of ecotourism is
available to all visitors irrespective of age or physical capability.
There are also other tourist activities which are closely related to the
ecotourism but not within the strict definition of ecotourism. Example of
such activities include aquaria, botanical gardens, zoos.
Stakeholders in Ecotourism Development
 Tourist
 Local landowners and Users
 Government Agencies
 Tourism Authorities
 Resource Management Agencies
 Agencies Responsible for Infrastructure.
 Planning Ministers
 Tour Operators
 Investors
 NGO’S
 Development Assistance Agencies and Donors.
 Green/Sustainable tourism

Green/Sustainable tourism refers to travel operations that use

natural resources judiciously. Green or sustainable tourism
can be considered the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Examples include the airline industry becoming more energy efficient,
the cruise line industry recycling its waste or large hotel chains adopting
environmental regulations. Large hotels have discovered that by advising
guests to reduce water consumption or recommending that they not
expect their towels to be washed every day, the hotels not only gain a
“greener” image (which is increasingly important to consumers), but they
also reduce operating costs. Thus, green tourism is clearly an attractive
proposition to the conventional tourism industry.
 Ecotourism: The Travelers

Travelers have a unique position as players in ecotourism. They are the

most vital participants in the industry and provide motivation for everyone
else’s activities, but few participate in formal meetings about ecotourism.
Nevertheless, the choices they make when they select a tourism
destination, choose a tour operator or travel agent and, ultimately, the
kind of tour in which they wish to participate, have a tremendous impact
upon the eventual success or failure of ecotourism projects.
Ecotourism, then, is a multifaceted, multidisciplinary, multi-actor activity
requiring communication and collaboration among a diverse range of
actors with different needs and interests. Consequently, achieving eco-
tourism is a challenging process though ultimately enormously rewarding
for all involved.
 Who is an Ecotourist?
The International Ecotourism Society constructed the following ecotourist market profile in 1998 based on a survey of
North American travelers.

Age:Ranged from 35-54 years old, although age varied with activity and other factors such as cost.
Gender: 50% were female and 50% male, although clear differences by activity were found.
Education: 82% were college graduates. A shift in interest in ecotourism was found from those who have high levels
of education to those with less education, indicating ecotourism’s expansion into mainstream markets.
Household composition: No major differences were found between general tourists and experienced
ecotourists.**
Party composition: A majority (60%) of experienced ecotourism respondents stated they prefer to travel as a couple;
only 15% preferred to travel with their families and 13% preferred to travel alone.
Trip duration: The largest group of experienced ecotourists (50%) preferred trips lasting 8-14 days.
Expenditure: Experienced ecotourists were willing to spend more than general tourists; the largest group (26%)
was prepared to spend $1,001- $1,500 per trip.
Important elements of trip: Experienced ecotourists’ top three responses were: (1) wilderness setting, (2) wildlife
viewing, and
(3) hiking/trekking. Experienced ecotourists’ top two motivations for taking their next trip were:
(1) enjoy scenery/nature and (2) new experiences/places.

** Experienced ecotourists = Tourists who had been on at least one “ecotourism” trip. Ecotourism was defined in
this study as nature/adventure/culture oriented travel.
 Definition of Community

Community refers to a heterogeneous group of people who

share residence in the same geographic area and access a set
of local natural resources. The degree of social cohesion and
differentiation, strength of common beliefs and institutions,
cultural diversity and other factors vary widely within and
among communities .
 The Role of the Community in Ecotourism

In recent years, conservationists have come to recognize the crucial role

rural and coastal communities play in conserving biodiversity; many
protected area managers have developed mechanisms to incorporate
these com- munities as stakeholders into the planning and management
process. At the same time, the growing interest by tourists in learning
from and experiencing different cultures has led the tourism industry to
incorporate com- munities into its activities. This has led to a growing
awareness by communities of the opportunities tourism presents. Where
communities are well organized and have title to traditional lands they
have been more successful in capturing a greater share of tourism
spending in natural areas. In the 1990s, numerous indigenous and
other local groups adopted ecotourism as part of their development
strategy .
 Operators in the Planning Process

1. Providing information about the potential market for ecotourism activities.

2. Providing advice concerning visitor preferences in terms of attractions,
accommodations, food and transportation services.
3. Marketing an ecotourism activity or program.
4. Providing one or more of the services needed to facilitate visitor access to
and appreciation of the ecotourism site.
5. Providing training of local guides and entrepreneurs.
6. Investing in an ecotourism operation. The investment will likely be
contingent upon an expectation of a certain level of financial return.
7. Operating an ecotourism operation such as an ecolodge. Within a protected
area situation, these operators would be considered concessionaires. As
such, they would be subject to strict guidelines covering everything from
the energy sources used to the number of guests they may handle at one
time to the utilization of local supplies and labor. They would also be
required to pay a concession fee to the protected area administration.