History of ecotourism Began In The Eighties And Is Now The Fastest Growing Segment In Tourism
Ecotourism is tourism that appeals to people who are concerned about ecology as well as social consciousness, and in most instances, it focuses on local culture as well as adventures in the wilderness and personal growth and also learning to live in a new way that benefits the planet and its peoples. Ecotourism or responsible tourism is something that came into the consciousness of us humans during the latter part of the eighties, and so the history of ecotourism can safely be said to have begun during this period.
Aware Of The Need To Conserve Natural Resources
The history of ecotourism can also be said to have maybe have begun and been known to mankind for many centuries and one can trace the adventures of Charles Darwin as being a part of this history though it is not formally recognized as being so. Now, after the history of ecotourism has seen many changes, we are becoming aware of the need to conserve our natural resources and find means to prevent the ravages to nature that mass tourism is inflicting. As such, the present day history of ecotourism shows it as being the fastest growing tourism space in all of tourism as a whole.
This fast pace of growth in ecotourism can be attributed to the growing awareness on the planet of the need to not destroy the precious natural resources that are the target of certain uncaring people, and also because more and more people are now desirous of wanting to explore more natural environments rather than visit places served by mass tourism.
This growing history of ecotourism saw a major step being taken forward in promoting it with the announcement that the year 2002 was to be designated as the Year of Ecotourism by the United Nations. Furthermore, ecotourism has grown and added sophistication in the lives of peoples living in areas of ecotourism, and there is thus more disposable income with them and places such as the Amazon rainforests and also the Caribbean reef are good examples of the growing influence of ecotourism.
A look at the history of ecotourism in places such as Costa Rica shows how it has developed into an ideal ecotourism destination as is evident in what has been taking place here over the past three decades. This, in spite of the fact that Costa Rica is the leader in the world as far as deforestation rates and ransacking of forest resources is concerned having lost approximately half its forest areas between the fifties and nineties to much cutting down of trees. However, when faced with a cutting off of funds unless such a situation was not rectified, Costa Rica has turned into a good example of what ecotourism can do to a region and also country and to also positively impact the environment as well.
Problems With Ecotourism
Tourism has a changed face, as after the First World War, it has changed from domestic travel to incorporate traveling to far-off places and taken in a lot of international travel that has seen it grow exponentially even in developing countries.
So, it is easy to see that ecotourism can lead to its own undoing and that there is certainly a lot more that is needed to be done to ensure that we can come up with adequate solutions that will help negate the ecotourism damage that is at the present time taking place thanks to the increasing popularity of ecotourism itself. It also meant needing to coordinate between ecotourism providers and different municipalities as also governmental bodies and NGOs so that a viable network to sustain this form of tourism could be formed. The environment is something that too many people take for granted. For example, if an organization decides to target people who love yoga, they might start holding yoga classes in a woodland area for a fee.
The global ecotourism conference also discussed education and global branding of ecotourism.
Many people in Kerala call this Indian state as being Gods own Country and the many attractions include clear skies, blue waters and also beaches that provide solitude and quiet. When economic benefits trickle down to local people, it allows, in theory at least, for the benefits to act as incentive to protect nature and also makes the locals take to behaviors that promote conservation rather than exploitation of natural resources. However if youre someone who likes to spend a lot of time in the thick of things when it comes to nature, you may find that hardcore ecotourism advocates can make it hard for you. The first reason why ecotourism is bad, specifically in woodland areas and areas where animals live, is the element of surprise to the animals. Ecotourism is a new concept to many, as even though its been around since at least the 1980s, its still not nearly as popular a concept as some feel it should be.
The public had simply not been educated towards understanding the severity of the situation.
For example, if a park decides to have a nature walk aspect to it, paths will be cleared and some trees cut down to make way for the paths. As an ecotourism example, Costa Rica too has ranked high as that country had a scale of compliance that ensures that it is not just a vacation center in the middle of a cloud forest, but was actually run on lines that were conducive to conserving the environment with means such as solar power. Even smaller are towns that have local governments, and those governments may or may not fund ecotourism. On the other hand, differences between mass tourism and eco-tourism show that ecotourism is more nature based, low impact as well as small scale, promotes conservation, supports local communities, helps maintain natural and cultural integrity, and makes use of environmentally friendly methods as also technologies. Why is ecotourism important? Such studies are therefore ideal vehicles for providing responsible people with a focus of the way ahead in times to come. |
