Having Proper Accountability and transparency in ecotourism Will Mean Economic Development
Nobody is going to deny that accountability and transparency in ecotourism will lead to economic development and also promote growth that are features that can readily be seen in a capitalist and also a democratic society and which is indicative of good governance. However, not every ecotourism country is a democratic or capitalist country and there are different political ideologies prevailing which mean that some of these countries may be politically neutral or they may be conforming to government interests.
Economic Benefits Are The Primary Motivating Force
Thus, it has been found that in almost all cases, economic benefits are the primary motivating force for such ecotourism countries and accountability and transparency in ecotourism may be a concept that most of these countries may not be familiar with, and which has some way to go before they get incorporated in the scheme of things. The force of economic prosperity is such that other concerns such as poverty alleviation, conservation as well as cultural heritage may have to take a back seat.
The reason for such a state of affairs can be attributed to understanding that without economic activity, there would probably be no real tourism and thus there is a need to mix the factors involved and come up with a correct balance so that no one particular factor dominates the others and this is where accountability and transparency in ecotourism comes into play.
It is also a fact that all tourism development programmes will be used to advance government interests because they need the approval of the government before anything can be done, it can often result in government interference in the running of ecotourism projects and thus there may be little or no accountability and transparency in ecotourism.
There is also no denying the fact that there must be a fit of cultural values that are essential if the host country does not want to have disruptive or counterproductive influences in the development of ecotourism. It means formulating policies and planning ahead and ensuring that the culture of the place and also its politics are well understood without which the project may not get off the ground and accountability and transparency in ecotourism is another major factor that must be incorporated in the scheme of things if there is to be sustainable ecotourism.
Thus, if there is accountability and transparency in ecotourism there should be a proper mechanism and a philosophy of long-term returns in place; instead of myopic means being used to get short-term gains.
Hawaii Ecotourism Association
Ecotourism is also quite new and has only been in existence for about two to three decades, and it plays an important role in both propagating social and also ecological consciousness in eco-tourists.
There is a lot to learn and know about ecotourism which is really a trend moving in the direction of preserving nature and which is rapidly gaining in strength and popularity the world over. The bottom line is that nature tourism is taking place in protected areas while the ecotourism is taking place in remote areas where conservation is the key. The physical benefits are seen when we learn to conserve our natural resources and preserve nature as best that we can. Also, if we learn to recognize the importance of protecting biological diversity and properly regulate and manage these resources, we will benefit both the environment as well as see improved economic development. Thus, there is great ecotourism potential as is witnessed in the amount of money that the average eco-tourist is willing to spend on his or her ecotourism travels, and also the high value that such money provides to the local population.
Maathai that is a pioneering works in environmental as also animal conservation.
Hopefully, such a study of ecotourism should help understand the alternative approaches for support of ecotourism and lead to development of new policies. There is a wide gamut of possibilities that range from resorts catering to the sensitivity of the ecosystem as also stand-alone activities, a number of destinations all across the world are offering solutions so as to reduce the harm that we are doing to the environment and which at the same time provides tourists with enjoyment as well. Ecotourism in Lebanon really took off as a serious tourism activity in the year 1997 when people began to take annual trips to Arsal which is a huge village in North East Lebanon. you first have to figure out what ecotourism really is.
Consider the following: there are tours to Africa where irresponsibly hunting expeditions occur in severe violation of local hunting and conservation laws.
However, there is a flip side to ecotourism statistics that show that unless proper measures are taken, ecotourism destinations may soon become overused and the resources they have will become depleted and their worth to humanity will decline, which is indeed a reason to become alarmed and take heed of the various ecotourism statistics that are showing up these dangers to our environment. After all, what could possibly be the importance of teaching ecotourism to people who are not involved in the hotel and tourism trade? A case in point is the case study of ecotourism that concerns the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Western Uganda, which is a good attempt at investigating how important and also how relevant is ecotourism and also to understand the awareness and understanding of ecotourism amongst local peoples of the area. While private beaches that charge a fee require people to be clean and considerate of their surroundings, public beaches have no private funding, so people often end up littering. The term and what it means is not meant to do anything but actually help tourism by eliminating pollution from traveling and using unconventional or old school methods of traveling. This is one of the types of ecotourism which encourages visitors to experience the agricultural life at first hand, and this type is gathering strong support from smaller communities as well as rural communities, as rural people have come to realize the benefits of sustainable development brought about by similar forms of green tourism. |
