Ecotourism & people Essay

Ecotourism is a subdivision of tourism which seeks to extend the c erstwhilept of sustainability to the tourism industry. In recent years, concerns such(prenominal)(prenominal) as the planets sustainability, preservation of its natural resources, balancing gentle activities with Mother Natures needs and so on, lay down reached uncomparable highs. It is exactly concerns such as these which bring forth led to the outgrowth and ripening of ecotourism. in that location is no single univers eachy accepted definition of ecotourism.Indeed, some(prenominal) researchers, tourism providers, environmental agencies and local anaesthetic bodies have formulated different definitions, which channel slightly in their scope and breadth. However, third key elements ar rudimentary to to the highest degree of the definitions encountered in a review of the existing literature, namely sustainability of the ecotourism placement creating an appreciation among ecotourists of the need to prese rve the natural environment creating respect and/or contri buting to the development of the local nicetys (Eastwood, 2009).These characteristics of ecotourism quite obviously place it into tangy contrast with traditional battalion tourism. Mass tourism often attracts tourists to locations that have been extensively developed in terms of infrastructure, facilities, communication networks and so on. In doing so, the natural and physical environment of such locations is dramatically altered, in ways that are irreversible. Moreover, large amounts of energy whitethorn be consumed to sustain such establishments. In contrast, ecotourism seeks maximum preservation of the natural environment of designated locations.Indeed, the very work for an ecotourist lies in visiting a location that still remains for the most part untouched by modern development. Mass tourism similarly makes no guides to aim tourists with regard to the environment. The main offering of mass tourism is typical ly entertainment and leisure. Individuals availing this form of tourism typically use their holidays to take a temporary break from their commitments, choosing to relax and unwind during the interval before returning to their routine lifestyle.Unless the tourists specifically choose to embark on an educational journey in areas of personal interest, most journeys do non have unspoilt bearings, and this factor is reflected in the marketing appeals utilise by mass tourism providers. Finally, while tourists in the realm of mass tourism are most certainly exposed to different cultures and people, this interaction is generally viewed as more than of an exotic exposure rather than anything more meaningful or substantial. There is no pressing need felt by the tourists or the mass tourism providers to contribute to the different communities visited or to be concerned nearly their development.On the other hand, most genuine ecotourism initiatives are geared to the development of host c ommunities, with long term planning and financial resources being channeled towards this objective (Schellhorn, 2010). Part Two The Ecotourist Experience The unique aspects of the ecotourist arrive and its implications for host communities are explored next. Motivations are non homogenous It would be misleading to assume that all tourists visiting ecotourism locations have the same motivations.An analysis of tourists at Al Maha, an ecotourist holiday bushel in Dubai, revealed that the average tourist is apparently motivated to come and extol the desert setting more than anything else. Many of the tourists are rich individuals, generally businessmen and women, who simply desire an exotic temporary accommodation as an alternate to hotels in the city. While at the resort, such individuals do non sever ties with their corporations, or typically immerse themselves in the indigenous culture as the ideal ecotourist is expected to do.Another segment of tourists at this resort consis ts of honeymooning couples looking for a romantic getaway again, not the stereotype of the dedicated ecotourist (Ryan & Stewart, 2009). Since the motivation itself is lacking, the Al Maha ecotourist resort is hardly able to motley the tourists perceptions regarding sustainability or the need to preserve and notify the natural environment and local cultures. Scale of development The Al Maha resort example discussed above likewise raises an import concern the scale of development within ecotourism locations.Al Maha is extensively projected as an ecotourist destination however, it has been extensively developed, almost resembling a luxury resort The resort also consumes vast amounts of energy in maintaining its facilities, which runs approximately contrary to the concept of sustainability of resources. Those in support of large scale ecotourist destinations claim that expansion of such projects is almost a prerequisite if such projects are required to have a substantial impac t globally (Buckley, 2009). touring car behaviour may be counter-productiveA study conducted at three ecotourist destinations in the Himalayas revealed that, in some instances, so called ecotourists were really creating compounding problems of contamination by littering and improper disposal of non-biodegradable items. Ironically, the management of hotels was doing no better either discharge of untreated waste water was rampant (Batta, 2006). Such behavior is in complete violation of the spirit of ecotourism. It not only spoils the experience of received ecotourists who may also be frequenting such resorts, but is also a social issue since it creates discomfort for the local residents.New income may not be channeled in sustainable activities Whereas income generation for the local biotic community members at ecotourism locations is an expected and desired outcome, this new income may defeat the objectives of sustainability if it is channeled in undesired activities. For exam ple, a case study conducted in Brazil and Peru revealed that locals used the income generated from employment at ecotourism locations to engage in needless, extravagant consumption of goods.Moreover, earning income from this fashion did not deter them from engaging in activities such as lookup or unsustainable exploitation of natural resources (Stronza & Pegas, 2008). This study highlights the need to educate the local communities involved in ecotourism initiatives if the full benefits of these initiatives are to be realized. The minus impacts of overcrowding The ecotourists experience is most fulfilling if the location is perceived to offer a serene, calm environment, where one can get away from hustle-and-bustle and really wed with nature.This is precisely the reason why overcrowding can seriously deter the ecotourists enjoyment of his/her experience (Ormsby & Mannle, 2006). Managers of ecotourism locations are placed in a quandary, particularly if they are aiming to gen erate significant amount of funds from attracting tourists. On the one hand, they want their destination to become popular and attract the optimum level of tourists on the other hand, if overcrowding occurs, then the destination loses its appeal for true ecotourists.Ethical dilemmas In her article entitled Ethics and ecotourism connections and conflicts, Stark (2002) proposed a series of questions pertaining to ethical concerns in the realm of ecotourism. A few summarized questions, minded(p) especially to those in the tourism industry who provide travel packages claiming to be ecotours, are as follows What is the carrying capacity of a specific site (or in other words, how many tourists it can support), beyond which the local environment would be prone to harm?Is ecotourism simply being projected as a fashion statement or something which is in? Are local cultures simply being objectified rather than truly appreciated? What are the net be and benefits of ecotourism activities? Do local communities benefit, and are they involved at each level of implementation? Is care being taken, particularly in developing countries, that sites which have rich traditional or cultural heritage are not being exploited for commercial purposes?These are just some of the legion(predicate) questions which come to the fore when choosing a destination for ecotourism and designing and implementing a schema which is ethically sound. It is an accepted fact that the development of any form of tourism, take down ecotourism, has long-lasting impacts on local communities. Therefore, it is vital for ecotourism development agencies to take the locals on board and determine in advance what nature and level of changes are acceptable to them (Butcher, 2006). Unsuitable nature of education provisionsStem et. al (2003), in an article entitled Ecotourism and education for sustainability a critical come along, that most of the insights and educational experienced provided at ecotourism locatio ns currently are not up to par and sufficient to generate a proper soul of sustainability and environmentally friendly activities among tourists. Some tours provide theoretical data, others provide put on the line and thrill, whereas still others merely encourage tourists to immerse themselves in their surroundings and appreciate natural beauty.What is lacking is the kind of education which would motivate attitudinal and behavioral change among tourists, not only while they are on tour but something which they can appreciate, act upon and tell others about as well once the tour has ended. Longitudinal studies could be employed to find out whether ecotourists actually change and maintain their changed behavior over an extended period of duration after a given trip, but such studies have largely been lacking to date (Buckley, 2009).