A Review on the Different Types of Ecotourism
There are actually many different types of ecotourism that exist, one in particular being agro-tourism. 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.
Another of the types of ecotourism is the type for which the aims are to enable participation from the local community, particularly in terms of the development and operations of tourism. One of the most important features of this type is that a reasonable share of all the revenues gained is enjoyed by the community. As well this is one of the types of ecotourism which truly maintains and respects the local culture and heritage.
More Types of Ecotourism
Another type of ecotourism is pro-poor tourism, which is a type that is set up in developing countries as a means to basically improve the local economy and assist people as best as possible. In this way it is able to enhance the linkages between tourism businesses and poor people, so that as a result poverty is reduced and as well poor people are able to participate more effectively in tourism development.
Although each different types of ecotourism is separate from the others in its own way, they all do have the same basic principles and goals, including: to minimize impact, to build environmental and cultural awareness and respect, to provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts, to provide direct financial benefits for conservation, to provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people, to raise sensitivity to host countries political and social climate, and to support international human rights and labor agreements.
Overall there are both positive and negative issues having to do with ecotourism, however if the situation is looked at seriously and properly and the problems are taken care of, then there will really only be positive results and aftermath from ecotourism, as there should be. The only way for this to happen however is for all of us to come together as a whole and work towards ensuring that ecotourism acts as positive as possible and that the benefits serve us all.
Whether called nature tourism or ecotourism, it offers countries new opportunities for small-enterprise investment and employment and as well increases the national stake in terms of protecting their biological resources. However, making ecotourism a positive economic and environmental tool will require policies that foster truly responsible nature tourism development, as well as broad-based and active local participation.
Farming Native Animals
There, people can walk the trails and see natural wonders such as geysers.
These ecotourism statistics further shows that nature tourism has generated, it is believed, as much as seven percent of all international travel expenditure and they further reveal that this rate is increasing by about ten to thirty percent each year. Thus, in spite of our best efforts and lofty ideals there is a certain amount of ecotourism damage taking place and such damage has been the subject of debate at the Global Ecotourism Conference in Oslo in 2007. And, of late ecotourism is being promoted as an alternative to mass tourism, and thus there is a case for nature tourism and ecotourism to be viewed as a means of protecting, conserving and developing natural environments and also a way to provide economic benefits to local peoples and communities. Another type of ecotourism is pro-poor tourism, which is a type that is set up in developing countries as a means to basically improve the local economy and assist people as best as possible. Also, the internet and library sources along with governments documents were used to gather data for the study ecotourism.
Thus, while ecotourism debates rage on, it is nevertheless quite clear that in spite of the many problems, there is hardly any denying the fact that ecotourism does in fact encourage powers that be into at least thinking about conserving nature, though opinions will certainly differ on what need to be protected, and how as well as for whose benefit.
In recent decades, massive pollution destroyed the Delaware River killing all the animal life and destroying the tourism that once provided important revenue to the local economy. Such ecotourism debates raise the question that ecotourism has become a catch-all phrase to help market products and in the capitalist sense at least, cultures as well as societies are mere commodities that are to be consumed by external sources. Thus, to further the aims of ecotourism environmental education, it has been seen that pilot projects have been developed which aim to better local communitys understanding of biodiversity and in this regard local teachers can contribute towards better ecotourism environmental education in the following way. Otherwise, the impacts of eco and mass tourism can lead to devastation of natural habitats and a great culture shock that can put the lives and survival of the local people in danger. However, are these groups aware of the environmental damage that is caused by bad ecotourism? This global ecotourism conference was to have produced as one of its outcomes, the Oslo Statement on Ecotourism that was to list the main questions as well as challenges that are sure to be faced in the times to come, and also to make a commitment to strive continuously in improving ecotourism.
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.
If we could find a place that was worth visiting and it did not cost more than what we could afford, then that was all there was to taking a holiday. One of those special ecotourism destinations that you may have dreamt about is sure to be the lovely beaches of Kerala in India where there is plenty of natural resources including quite backwaters and a very pleasing climate that is supposed to be among the best in the world that attracts many people to it. According to figures released by the Travel Industry Association of American and also the Smithsonian Magazine, it was noticed that more than eighty percent of adult tourists were from the United States and they were interested in historic as well as cultural travel. Governments generally fund organizations that have a significant role n the community as it is, especially if the community is known as a tourist destination so that people can view the areas natural resources. Another of the negative effects of ecotourism is that some land may have to be stripped to make landing strips and which can result in destruction of nesting sites as well as threaten local water supply. |
