Ecotourism

Not to be confused with Sustainable tourism.
Ecotourism in Svalbard.

Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conservation and environmental education.[1] The definition sometimes also includes being financially beneficial to the host community[2] or making conservation financially possible.[3] There are a range of different definitions, and the correct definition of the term was an active subject of debate as of 2009.[1][needs update] The term is also used more widely by many organizations offering nature tourism, which do not focus on being beneficial to the environment.[1]

Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered an important endeavor by environmentalists for conservation reasons.[4]: 33  Organizations focusing on ecotourism often make direct or indirect contributions to conservation or employ practices or technology that reduce impacts on the environment.[1] However (according to Buckley), very few organizations make a net-positive impact on the environment overall.[1] Ecotourism has also been criticized for often using the same infrastructure and practices of regular tourism under a different name.[5] Like most long-distance travel, ecotourism often depends on air transportation, which contributes to climate change.[5][6]

Generally, ecotourism deals with interaction with living parts of natural environments, in contrast to geotourism, which is associated with geology.[7] In contrast to nature tourism and sustainable tourism in general, ecotourism also usually intended to foster a greater appreciation in tourists of natural habitats and threats they experience, as well as local culture.[6] Responsible ecotourism programs include those that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e Buckley, Ralf (2009). Ecotourism : principles and practices. Internet Archive. Cambridge, Mass. : CABI. ISBN 978-1-84593-457-6.
  2. ^ "Ecotourism and Protected areas". UN Tourism. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  3. ^ "Ecotourism vs Sustainable Tourism". Integra: developing impact from opportunity. September 1, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-01.
  4. ^ Honey, Martha (2008). Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? (Second ed.). Washington, DC: Island Press. ISBN 978-1-59726-125-8.
  5. ^ a b Stabler, M. J. (eds.) (1997, page 45) Tourism and Sustainability: Principles to Practice. CAB International: Wallingford.
  6. ^ a b Cardenas, Julieta (2023-07-26). "What is ecotourism? A guide on how to travel sustainably". Vox. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  7. ^ *Ṣadrī, Bahrām Nikūʼī (2010). مبانى زمين‌گردشگرى با تأکيد بر ايران [Fundamentals of Geotourism With a Special Emphasis on Iran] (in Persian). Tehran: SAMT. ISBN 978-964-530-415-5. OCLC 889667013. Introduction available in English at Sadry, Bahram N. "Introduction to Fundamentals of Geotourism With a Special Emphasis on Iran". OpenEdition Journals. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  8. ^ Randall, A. (1987). Resource economics (Second ed.). New York, USA: John Wiley & Sons.