The Need for Teaching Ecotourism
When the subject of teaching ecotourism comes up, people may give the person who brought up the subject a quizzical look. This is not because there is a feeling of condescension towards the subject but because it seems like an odd subject to teach. After all, what could possibly be the importance of teaching ecotourism to people who are not involved in the hotel and tourism trade?
Well, if a teacher is successful in presenting the true facts of the subject of ecotourism, then the quizzical looks will quickly disappear as people begin to realize the absolute seriousness of the issue. Hopefully, they will understand that ecotourism is not all about leisure, but also about properly dealing with common threats to the environment.
If one perpetuates teaching ecotourism to where the awareness level of the subject arises, then the teacher will be doing the world a great service. Of course, in order to do this, the instructor must properly convey the information so that the desired result is achieved.
Stressing Importance When Teaching Ecotourism
In order to make teaching ecotourism effective, it becomes critical that the instructor stresses the notion that ecotourism is a serious issue that requires serious attention. This is not to say that an instructor should bring a sense of alarmism with him towards the issue. Alarmism never works and will more than likely backfire if employed.
But if the instructor brings a firm approach to the subject matter and infuses into the instruction a notion that action is required to help promote environmental causes that are helpful for the greater good, then the process of teaching ecotourism will prove successful.
Avoiding Preaching When Teaching Ecotourism
Keep one thing in mind, teaching is not preaching. That is, the teacher must not climb on a soapbox and perform the duties of an advocate. This undermines the purpose of teaching and will ultimately lead to the audience turning against the instructor.
The classroom is not a place where an advocate can climb on a soapbox and subject his feelings towards a captive audience. Regardless of how good the instructors intentions are, such a heavy handed approach is ultimately self defeating.
If the instructor does teach the material properly and it is the material is properly absorbed by the students, then they will take it upon themselves to do the right thing and advocate ecotourism when the need arises. When they do this, they will greatly aid in the conservation of the environment and the teachers main purpose will have been achieved. Is that not the goal in the first place?
Eco Tourism Alaska
This kind of traveler is usually socially conscious and is in the mindset that polluting our world can be fixed.
This study ecotourism touched on government ecotourism agencies in Americas and data was gathered from those entrusted with promoting ecotourism and even telephonic interviews were used as methods to glean as much information as possible to learn how ecotourism had been defined, and also the policies that were used in the implementation of ecotourism. Take for example the elevated buildings and walkways in the Caribbean that does not affect the ground vegetation. The Delaware River is but one example as this sad tale of a destroyed environment is sadly commonplace. Such ecotourism damage can lead to harming the national parks, as also the tiny and exciting islands that are attracting eco-tourists who are very enamored by the unspoiled nature of these places. Similar ecotourism examples can be seen in the Thai beach resorts known to be environmentally friendly, and also the jungle lodges in Kenya that together account for approximately fifteen percent of the global market for ecotourism, according to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Also, cited as other impacts of eco and mass tourism is the fact that such destinations may often lack for proper infrastructure which means that local governments are not able to properly control influx of people and goods.
Of course, you do not necessarily have to pay a fee to participate in an ecotourism event.
According to ecotourism statistics, the eighties saw a marked shift from mass tourism to ecotourism and more and more tourists were seeking environmentally relevant holiday destinations. And, at the recently concluded ecotourism global conference in Oslo, Norway it was found that countries such as Australia and Costa Rica were very good ecotourism examples, and which are playing a major role in the multi-billion dollar ecotourism industry that has seen tremendous growth which is believed to be about thirty percent each year. While these structures have a purpose, they cannot help but damage the delicate environment. Direct recipients of the benefits of ecotourism are the local communities who must therefore play an important role in the planning, development as well as management of the process of ecotourism.
Is There a Definitive Answer?
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. Ecotourism is a relatively new concept, in which people can take retreats to natural places, such as parks or wildlife reserves, and there they can experience nature through various means. The evolution of ecotourism has been defined to date, but continues to be defined for the next generation of curious people to learn about. In the late 1990s, communities realized that they could even start getting people to help them make things better. |
