Hello All,
here below I am pleased to publish my essay about Ecotourism which I wrote during my last year at uni. I got my best mark on this exam and hope you will enjoy the reading,
I LOVE IT!
'Ecotourism is a somewhat dated concept and something of a cliché'. Its aims, while admirable, are rarely achievable. The result is that we find very few examples of the concept'.
It
is the intention of this essay to argue that Ecotourism it is not a
form of sustainable tourism that can be achieved in the modern time.
In literature it is possible to find a range of different definitions
about Ecotourism: Fennel (2002), for examples, defines Ecotourism as
'an experience based on learning the natural history of an area in
which tourists have an active role'.The main objective is to promote
the conservation and well-being of the population across actions
based on ethical and tourism strategies needed to protect the
environment in which they are practised. The same interpretation is
given by The International Ecotourism Society (2014) which describes
Ecotourism as a conscious journey into uncontaminated zones which
aims to preserve the territory and enhance the welfare of the
residents. Furthermore Gunn (2002) affirms that this form of holiday
concerns the balance between the protection of the resources of an
area and its visitors.
Ecotourism
can be described as a sustainable form of tourism. UNWTO (2005)
defined sustainable tourism as a form of vacation which considers the
present and future economy of an area, its social and natural
environment, and in accordance to them are agreed the priorities of
tourists, ambient and local communities. The article continues
explaining that sustainable tourism needs to use the resources with
the aim of protecting them; conserve and respect the customs and
tradition of the residents; and guarantee that the development which
derives from tourism brings benefits to the local economy and
communities. However, in order to be effective it needs to be
monitored and this requires the co-operation of both the stakeholders
and the political parties.
However,
Ecotourism has also been criticised by various writers. For instance,
Qin
and Zhang (2008) argue that the local culture of the host country
risks to loose its originality and value because of influence by
tourists. It is worth to mention the case of Bhutan where, in order
to preserve the authenticity of the population, specific guidances
about tourists entrance and sojourns have been issued, (Kingdom
of Bhutan 2014).
Buckley
(2004) focuses the argument on the environment and how activities
such as boating and hiking, camping off the beaten track can impact
the ecosystem in which they are performed. Machu Picchu, for example,
is a World Heritage site where, because of the massive number of
tourists walking the Peruvian peak, authorities had to step in and
regulate the daily entrances as the number of hikers into the
sanctuary was eroding the ancient path, (UNESCO
2014 and Cuzco Eats 2014). Fennell
(2008) criticizes the exploitation that wildlife has to suffer when
it comes in contact with travellers. The writer reports the examples
of hunting and fishing. The author condemns those activities as
nowadays they are no more necessary for the imminent survival of
individuals and tourists practice them just for a personal sense of
satisfaction not considering the impact that their hobbies can have
on the balance of the ecosystem of an area. In fact Frommer
(2014) recalls how in Thailand the economic benefits that tourists
brings along have been prioritised at the expense of both the
environment and animals and as a result now there are various mammals
which risk extinction. Also there has been an uncontrolled
deforestation to give space for the construction of buildings and as
a consequence air and water are polluted due to the negligence of the
builders.
There
are various reasons why conflicts can arise between the tourists and
the local residents. McKercher (1993) sustains that the impacts that
tourism developments have in an area are unavoidable. Tourism is an
activity where the resources are scarce but the infrastructures are
essential for its survival. It is also a market with a large
extension and diversity but there are no leaders and for this reason
there is a lack of regulations that control it. Above all, tourists
have to get integrated with the host communities but the residents
have to assimilate the effects of the visitors. Furthermore the
nature of tourism foresees an increase of visitors in accordance with
the increase in popularity of a location and once at a destination
said tourists want to be entertained. The writer suggests that
Ecotourism, in order to be sustainable, needs to be managed and
integrated with local community activities.
Accordingly
with McKercher (2003), a destination area can take advantages from
Ecotourism and become competitive in a medium to long time frame.
Strategies need to have visions, missions, aims and objectives based
on the present situation but focusing on the future, it is essential
to have the involvement of all stakeholders.
The
author considers various elements and identified some pillars that
when combined together aim to address the issues related to
sustainable tourism. The elements are the limited resources of an
area; the pull factors of a destination which primarily are cultural
and ecological related; the number and typology of visitors as the
quantity of travel increase constantly and tourists are more
knowledgeable and sophisticated. The pillars have been identified in
economic, ecological, cultural and local. The objectives of these
sustainable purposes are to assure that tourism activity is not only
profitable in the present but also in the future, the maintenance of
the ecology and biology of an area, guarantee the protection of the
locals identity and benefit the host communities and create incomes
for them. When all those elements are balanced, it is possible to
define tourism sustainable.
However
McKercher (2003) argues that throughout history tourism has never
been sustainable. In fact tourists tend to use
the resources of the local inhabitants and often they are imposed to
the community moreover not always the investments done by the host
country resulted to be profitable. The author continues affirming
that government and local communities have to co-operate in
order to define the strategy which better adapts to the needs of each
destinations promoting economic development of the area but limiting
the impact of the visitors. Hall and Lew (1998) affirmed that giving
the local communities the authority to manage and regulate tourism is
the best option, as has happened in Australia, Canada and New Zealand
where indigenous people administrate their land themselves.
Ecotourism
has a range of impacts on a destination. Despite the leakages that
might occur in the destination area, tourism is good for the local
economies as it guarantee jobs in the region where residents would
not otherwise have any other choice. From an environmental
perspective, tourists always alter the natural equilibrium of the
habitat. These damages could be limited if visitors are educated and
stakeholders organise practices aimed to preserve the territory. The
author reinforces the fact that when tourism is developed in an area,
local communities are the most vulnerable resource and for this
reason they need be able to express their view when it is time to set
policies and regulations that affect the region where they live
(Weaver 2001).
Buckley
(2006) reports case studies of Ecotourism in 'Africa: the Northern
Circuit Wildlife', 'Tanzania: Conservation Corporation Africa' and
'Mountain Gorillas, Mgahinga National Park'.
The
first case study of Wildlife in Tanzania analyses the impact that
Conservation Corporation had on the region.
In
accordance with the writer this entity made a major contribution on
the conservation of the wildlife that differently would have been in
danger of extinction.
Tourists
are accommodated in either cottages or timber tree house and when on
tours, visitors are informed on how to maintain a safe attitude in
vehicles and towards animals, especially during the guided walks.
Conservation Corporation also produced informative leaflets in order
to promote the area. However the author denounced how previous
administrators of the reserve disposed toxic wastage in ditches,
putting a risk of contamination the whole area.
The
second case study of the Mountain Gorillas of the Mgahinga National
Park reports some issues that this form of Ecotourism faces. For
examples, those Gorillas are defined as an highly endangered species
because of illegal poaching and also because the area surrounding the
park is constantly transformed agriculturally. The number of tourists
allowed to visits these animals is very restricted, about 6 daily,
and for this reason it is very difficult to obtain admissions at the
park. Tour operators often ask overseas visitors to pay a premium for
the entrances.
However,
before any excursion, tourists are instructed about how to behave
when in the forest and in close proximity of wild animals; for
example when watching Gorillas they are instructed to keep silent and
turn the flashes off their cameras.
Differently,
Conservation India (2012) reports the issues related with Ecotourism
in
Khajuraho
in the region of Madhya
Pradesh in India. The main problems are related with the lack of
regulation for entering the park and protecting the tigers.
The
first problem lies between Government and local authorities who are
trying to limit number of settlement in the park. The inhabitants of
the villages born in the park surrounding, are hostile to the
creation of core areas dedicated to tigers as they are worried about
losses to their businesses.
The
second issue relates to the park and despite the fact that in the
country there are many of them, in just few it is possible to see
tigers and for this reason tourists are concentrated in those
reserves only. In the article it is argued that if the animals could
be repopulated and managed in different parks, the tourists could
spread among different areas and the exploitation of specific parks
would be limited. Another matter is the increasing number of incoming
visitors that lead to a decreasing number of tigers. This reduction
of livestock is due to the fact that once in the reserve individuals
are free to move anywhere they like and this freedom scares animals
which as a consequence move to a different places. The article
concludes it would be advisable to not only educate tourists but also
to ban them from some areas of the park in order to give tigers the
possibility to recreate.
The
groth of the Ecotourism market is confirmed by
MINTEL
(2014) who reveal that, in 2012, on a global scale the gross domestic
product (GDP) of the tourism industry grew by 3.2% while the economy
in general increased 2.3%. Asia, Latin America and Africa had the
quickest economic growth while Europe had the lowest.
In
the next 10 years there will be a further general growth of the
tourism product and Asia, Latin America and Middle East are expected
to perform the highest percentage growth. In the article it is also
discussed how countries such as Brazil and Australia have based the
experience of their tourists in Ecotourism and the fact that those
countries are predicted to further increase their market in the next
future, (MINTEL 2014).
As
far as the future is concerned, recently UNWTO Executive Council met
to discuss the improvements that have been done in the matter of
Ecotourism. Governments are solicited to put in place laws and
regulations to promote and protect local communities and their
cultures; tourism development and event organization should aim to
promote business while marketing campaign will inform tourists about
the locations they are going to visits. During the meeting it has
been discussed how guarantee a growth that benefit everybody is the
priority of the modern world, (UNWTO 2014).
To
conclude, based on the information gathered about the Ecotourism
topic and as per the Mintel forecast, it is possible to affirm that
Ecotourism is a growing market and the tourists knowledge about this
form of holiday is improving as the issues related to this sector
are. Furthermore the exclusivity of some destinations makes a place
more appealing to visitors as per the examples of the Ecotourism in
Africa. From this research it seems that it is impossible to practice
Ecotourism without somehow harming the environment in which it is
experienced and for these reasons in the modern time Ecotourism is
not a sustainable form of tourism.
