Ecotourism Essay

1.1. History and development of Ecotourism

Ecotourism seems to have developed "in the womb" of the environmental movement in the 1970s and 1980s (Blamey R., 2001). Increasing environmental interest coupled with an emerging disavow for mass tourism has led to an increased demand for experiences based on the nature of alternative tourism. At the same time, countries have begun to realize that nature-based tourism is a means of accumulating foreign exchange and providing less destructive use of resources than alternative resources such as carpentry and agriculture (Blamey R., 2001). By the middle of the 1980s, a number of such countries had identified ecotourism as a way to achieve and maintain development.

The idea of correlating tourism with protection exists from the early days

However, the actual definition used is more important than applying the principles that support ecotourism. Boyd and Butler (Wight P, 1995) argue that ecotourism should be treated as dynamic and flexible, and move towards change within the variety of destination sites. Ecotourism is an enlightening natural travel experience that contributes to the preservation of the ecosystem while at the same time showing respect for the integrity of host communities.

1.3. Ecotourism principles

• Minimize negative impacts on nature and culture that may harm a destination.

• Education of traveler about the importance of nature protection and conservation.

• Insisting on the importance of business managers who work with local authorities and people meeting their needs and releasing the benefits of protection and conservation.

• Direct revenue in the conservation and management of natural and protected areas.

• Emphasis on the need for spatial distribution in tourist regions and visitor management plans, both for regions and for natural areas destined to become