Ecotourism has flourished over the last few years, despite its positive environmental and social impacts, it may transition to mass tourism if proper steps are not carried out legitimately. According to The International Ecotourism Society (1990), ecotourism is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, that involves interpretation and education. Ecotourism is portrayed by natural and socio-cultural virtue, accountability and the conservative efforts of different stakeholders who implement, partake in and advertise ecotourism activities to be sustainable, such as the government, policy-makers, business sectors, the local people as well as tourists. This type of travel experience educate tourist regarding the exquisite natural and social environment through their senses, as well as the conservation awareness of the environment during their visits in a particular country, with the involvement of local tour guides and indigenous tribes in the area. …show more content…
In the late 1990s, the income brought about by the tourism economy has rapidly surpassed the income from the export of resources such as bananas, pineapples and coffee combined. Since 2010, tourism has been more than 5.5% of Costa Rica’s entire GDP (O’Donnell 2014). In 2016, the travel and tourism industry contributed 7 billion US dollars to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Costa Rica. The effect of ecotourism has been beneficial, placing Costa Rica fifth in the world’s Environmental Performance Index. Entrance fees that are essential for travelers to pay before they enter are guaranteed to be contributed towards the parks maintenance due to the “Revenue retention” programs. Restaurants, souvenir shops and employment generating attractions have been allowed to thrive because of contracts with local
Ecotourism began in hopes of developing local economies in South American countries while attracting tourists to the natural beauty and exotic wonders of the land. The Vermont-based Ecotourism Society defines it as "responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.
In summary, the small country of Costa Rica has always been a highly sought after vacation spot. However, the influx of drugs and the deforestation have caused tourists, including myself, to question the desirability. Nonetheless, according to Forbes, Costa Rica is “The Happiest Place on Earth. Its national conservation policies, small ecological footprint, high quality of life and life expectancy rate are all exceedingly above par.”(Greenstein) I feel that Costa Rica would be an intriguing place to visit because of its vibrant landscapes and the abundance of incredible Catholic Churches.
Neth, B., 2008. Ecotourism as a Tool for Sustainable Rural Community Development and Natural Resources Management in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Researve. Kassel: Kassel University Press GmbH,
This is an Economic analysis of the impacts of cruise ship tourism specifically pertaining to Costa Rica. The analysis was published in the “International Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Research”. The source has trusted information written by two established, well known, professors, in the tourism field, Juan Brida and Sandra Zapata. The source houses a wealth of statistical information that illustrates the positive impacts that cruise ships have on Costa Rica. Not only does the article have data on the exact number of cruise ship passengers that
Ecotourism is defined according to Higgins (2006) as travel that preserves the environment and promotes the welfare of local people. Costa Rica is often viewed as the epicenter of ecotourism; in brief it has become the leading destination for ecotourism in Latin America (Horton, 2009). Although ecotourism has been an integral part of the Costa Rican economy over the past decades, there is a significant need to look into the neoliberal policies that drive the sector as there is research that illustrates the detriment it can cause a local community. Furthermore, Costa Rica’s ecotourism boom occurred as a result of the government’s rapid expansion of protected areas in the 1970s and 1980s to cast one fourth of the national territory (Horton, 2009). In terms of environmental efficiency, a report by the CIA (2014) highlights that Costa Rica is effectively managing its overall Carbon emission from consumption of energy at a modest 6.806 million Mt, which is measured in metric tons. Ranking Costa Rica 116th in terms of consumption, whereas Ecuador a country with similar characteristics, ranks 76th out of all countries in the world. There is also strong signals that highlight the economic role that ecotourism has formed, by the late 1990s, employing 12 percent of Costa Rica’s labor force (Horton, 2006). The forces at play, construct the system that originally initiated the ecotourism boom and has led it to this point. Thus, the implications of ecotourism in Costa Rica have widely varied from preserving forest, reducing the carbon emission from consumption of energy and incorporating ecotourism as an effective sector of the economy. However I will point out there needs to be a more broad emphasis on the counter narratives that ecotourism ...
The article provides checklists to see whether or not it is ecotourism, with some key features being the companies relationship to the natives, if they act for convince or for nature, and if they are a certified ectourism company. The authors also talk of the consequences of ecotourism by exemplifying the Galapagos Islands boom in “ecotourism” as a negative impact that brought invasive plants, animals, and even pirates to the islands. They then point at the path to a solution for the Galapagos Islands through legislation, tour design and interpretation, and lessening their environmental impact. McElrath, Kolby. 17 February 2016.
Resort destinations can be wonderful places to relax and get away from the stressors of everyday life, however, resorts can also cause major degradation to the environment if environmental planning is not considered in a resorts decision-making process. Hotel Punta Islita Luxury Resort in Costa Rica, a well-known eco-friendly hotel shown in Figure 1, puts in a significant amount of effort ensure that their premises are run in a sustainable way. Punta Islita opened in 1994, and immediately became a leader in sustainability, contributing most of its earnings into the local area and supporting wildlife programs that help protect sea turtle eggs (The Lodge, 2018). Figure 1. Hotel Punta Islita Luxury Resort overlooking beautiful scenery.
Nature Tourism and Enterprise Development in Ecuador. (1988, November). World Leisure & Recreation, 29(1), 22-27. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10261133.1988.10558980#.UtrAZ9jTksY
Ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.” Ecotourism splits from traditional tourism by creating the intent to experience the people of that culture. It also encourages protection of endangered environments that are home to rare species of plants and animals.
ecotourism. All visitors experience the same lifestyle at the eco-lodges as a local would, in their
Ecotourism, defined by the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education” has been one of the fastest growing industries since the 1990s (TIES). Due to climate change and human activities such as logging, fishing, hunting, and landscaping, conservation efforts are underway all over the world to preserve natural habitats and the wildlife living in them. National parks are the most common way to accomplish this, but one problem many national parks face is a lack of funding. Ecotourism aids these parks by providing them with up to 84% of funds needed. In popular destinations such as Costa Rica, tourism generates over two billion dollars a year (Turner). Ecotourism is a way for these tourists to experience the natural wonders of the country they are visiting while supporting locals and the environment. However, the system is far from perfect. Even though ecotourism can
We talked about the first type which is the economic effect on the local community and the second type that is the social effect on the host community. In this part of our essay we will represent the last kind of effect on the local community by tourism. It is the environment effect on the local community. Tourism has positive and negative aspects in term of its impact on the host community. First point, tourism can help to protect the environment through reinvest some of profits, that generated by tourism, to the preservation of local environment and make it popular destination for holidays. However, it can cause pollution and damage in the environment through overuse of natural resources, such as water supply, beaches and coral reef. It also account for increased pollution through traffic emissions and littering. Additionally, tourist accommodations in general dump waste and sewage into seas and rivers. Second point, it might reduce some problems such as over-fishing by creating another source of employment. According to Tourism Concern, tourism account for more than eight per cent of jobs in the world wide and there are approximately two hundred million people work in the tourism sector on all sides of the world. (Tourism Concern, 2004). As a result a lot of people will abandon works in fishing and deforestations and tend to works in tourism industrialization. On the adverse side, it can harm the environment through polish off grass cover, harmful to wildlife and forests and grave local habitats. (BBC,
According to the ‘World Tourism Organization’ (UNWTO), the tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, as it is estimated that by the year 2020, 7.8 billion people (roughly a quarter of the world’s population) will embark on a foreign trip (Bennett & Gebhardt 15). The Caribbean is said to be the most economically dependent on this industry, as the ‘Caribbean Tourism Organisation’ states that the industry forms the “economic backbone of most countries in the Region”(“Caribbean Tourism Industry” 1). The implications for tourism’s affect on the region have arisen and have prompted further research into this matter. Since the 1970’s, research regarding tourism in the Caribbean has attempted to determine the social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts of tourism. Much of the research has found that there are in fact many negative adverse effects, and Jackson’s article asserts that, “Governments often commit money and other resources to support the growth and development of tourism and often turn a blind eye to its negative impacts” (574).
The economy can be clearly identified as the most beneficial aspect of tourism. “According to recent statistics, tourism provides about 10% of the world’s income and employs almost one tenth of the world’s workforce” (Mirbabayev, 2007). In Australia alone, Tourism contributed $87.3 billion in 2012, and employed 908,434 (7.9%) people (Kookana & Duc Pham, 2013). Tourism is “one of the most profitable and rapidly developing industries in the world” (Popushoi, 2004). Every year the number of tourists increase dramatically and consequently the revenues from tourism will increase substantially.
The negative impacts that tourism creates can destroy the environment and all of its resources which it depends of for survival. Tourism has the prospective to create and bring useful effects on to the environment by donation the environmental protection conservation.