Ecotourism
Written By: Sahaer N
Edited By: Morgan Pankarican
Designed By: Cece Ndiwa
Published By: Linda Qi
For the last 200 years there have been many human activities such as pollution, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation which have led to long-lasting, harmful, impacts on the environment and Earth’s natural habitats. Ecotourism is tourism directed towards exotic or threatened natural environments intended to support conservation efforts and wildlife. Meaning, ecotourism is an effective way of educating people about tourism, as well as the impacts of human activity on wildlife.
So far, ecotourism has affected the global market, local people, and of course, the environment in positive ways. The global ecotourism market is expanding mostly due to the increased growth of travel and outdoor recreational activities. In 2021 alone, the global market made a whopping 185.87 billion USD because of ecotourism. Plus, over the next 10 years, the global market for ecotourism is expected to expand 15.2%, meaning ecotourism is on the rise.
What Does Ecotourism Do?
- It helps preserve biodiversity. Ecotourism spreads awareness and protects biodiversity and the environment from negative human interactions and activities.
- It provides an educational experience for tourists. Just like any other form of tourism, ecotourism provides knowledge regarding the processes, cultures, traditions, history, and beauty of its destinations. It gives a memorable experience to the tourists and also teaches them the impacts of human activities on nature and what they could do to reduce their own negative effects.
- It helps local businesses. Ecotourism gives a chance for small business owners and local ecotourism hosts to make money by providing tourists with supplies and warm hospitality.
- It allows tourists, locals, and communities to gather together and learn about the environment as well as increase our collective environmental awareness
- Ecotourism helps tourists become more responsible tourists by taking care of and respecting the beauty of a destination.
- It helps tourists reach the sustainable goals we are working towards as a society by changing the way we look at tourism to a more environmentally friendly one.
- Ecotourism gives rural people opportunities in agritourism. People working on farms are the most knowledgeable and have the most work experience in growing and harvesting crops. Also, they have substantial knowledge on how crop production works and the impacts of agriculture on communities and habitats.
Different Types of Ecotourism
- Community development trips: when travelers go to a developing country or region to learn about how the local people live their lives. Travelers get to help and support the local community and people, while the work they do benefits the locals. The travelers also gain remarkable knowledge and experience about the local lifestyle, culture, and traditions.
- Eco-lodging: low-impact accommodations on surrounding areas and wildlife. The locations chosen to place huts, houses, or tents are the locations that minimize disruption to the natural habitat or local people. Also, limited resources and supplies are used to preserve local resources such as water.
- Ecotourism-based eco trekking and activity: visitors get an educational experience while doing fun activities that have a minimal impact on the natural environment. Activities include hiking, climbing, walking, or water-based activities such as swimming. Travelers also get to learn about the local area and culture.
- Agritourism: focuses on rural communities and activities based on agriculture. Visitors get to learn about the local crops and food production, as well as the lifestyle and culture of rural people. Visitors may also get to participate in farming tasks, which makes agritourism important for the development and financial health of rural communities.
Principles of Ecotourism
Those who practice, participate or market ecotourism activities should be prepared to follow the following ecotourism principles:
- Decrease their physical, social and psychological impact on the outdoors.
- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect for ecotourism.
- Create positive relationships, experiences, and memories for travelers and hosts.
- Work towards conservation efforts
- Make a profit for local people, as well as the ecotourism industry.
- Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
- Recognize and support the spiritual beliefs of local indigenous people and partner with them.
Advantages of Ecotourism
- Makes people and businesses more mindful of the negative effects of tourism on the environment and takes measures to limit negative environmental impacts.
- Creates a positive experience for visitors and hosts.
- Boosts jobs and creates employment for people living in rural areas of developing countries
- Encourages and motivates governments and businesses to be more serious about conservation efforts.
- Travelers adopt positive behavior in their everyday lives to assist with sustainability efforts.
Ecotourism is one of the best ways to bring attention to environmental problems and how people’s habits and unsustainable tourism practices are destroying Earth’s natural habitats. However, ecotourism is a satisfactory solution that benefits local people, businesses, and the environment altogether.
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Works Cited
Fahad. (2021, September 19). Ecotourism: History, types, components, & importance. Earth Reminder. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.earthreminder.com/ecotourism-history-types-components-and-importance/
Patnaik, M. (2022, August 17). What is ecotourism and why is it important?: TSOM blog. Toronto School of Management. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.torontosom.ca/blog/what-is-ecotourism-and-why-is-it-important
Revfine.com. (2022, May 14). Ecotourism: What it is, Advantages & disadvantages, examples & more. Revfine.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.revfine.com/ecotourism/
What is ecotourism – the International Ecotourism Society. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2022, from https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/
What is ecotourism? history/principles of responsible travel. Green Global Travel. (2019, February 6). Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://greenglobaltravel.com/what-is-ecotourism-10-simple-steps-to-more-sustainable-travel/