Eco-Tourism

Global tourism: growing fast. Tourism is the world’s largest industry, with an annual revenue of almost $500 billion. And it is growing fast, with airline arrivals expected to double by 2010.

Pro-Poor Tourism: Putting poverty at the heart of the tourism agenda, ODI, Caroline Ashley, Charlotte Boyd and Harold Goodwin. This paper examines how tourism affects the livelihoods of the poor and how positive impacts can be enhanced. In doing so, it assesses the relevance of tourism to the poverty agenda, and the factors that encourage or constrain economic participation of the poor in the industry. In conclusion it outlines strategies for promoting pro-poor tourism –

The Impacts of Tourism on Rural Livelihoods: Namibia’s Experience
ODI, Caroline Ashley. This paper assesses the wide range of impacts that tourism has on the livelihoods of rural residents in parts of Namibia. It aims to serve two purposes. First it illustrates that a focus on livelihoods offers a useful perspective on tourism for enhancing local benefits. It contrasts with conventional tourism perspectives which tend to focus exclusively on either economic, commercial or environmental impacts. It also contrasts with narrow assessment of local benefits focusing only on job creation and cash income.

Tourism and conservation One way that tourism can benefit conservation is by placing an economic ’value’ on wilderness, thus providing an economic case against development. Some tour operators donate a percentage of their profits to conservation projects, while ’volunteer conservation holidays’ can also provide manpower and income for conservation projects. For example: Sustainable tourism and ecotourism.

International tourist arrivals amounted to 694 million in 2003, 3 million down from the 697 million of 2000 (World Tourism Organization, WTO). Research by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) reveals that ecotourists are likely to be higher spenders on their holidays than ’ordinary’ mass tourists. And high-spending, nature-loving, responsible tourists are undoubtedly an attractive option for governments looking for ways of earning foreign exchange. But critics point out, just because something is marketed as ecotourism, doesn’t necessarily mean that long-term protection of the environment is automatically supported through it. Even in countries which are well-known as ecotourism destinations like Belize or Costa Rica the downsides have been obvious for several years. The fact that ecotourism businesses are often owned and controlled by outside interests, in just the same way as mass tourism, means that economic benefits often aren’t used for the protection of the areas or to support the local community.

Ecotourism or Egotourism A critic of "green" travel finds it as hazardous to ecosystems and cultures as conventional vacations

ECOTOURISM: SUICIDE OR DEVELOPMENT? The trend towards the commercialization of tourism schemes disguised as sustainable, nature-based, environmentally friendly ecotourism ventures has become the subject of considerable public controversy and concern. These schemes may have serious impacts on nature and society, particularly in developing countries.

Success Story
Success Story -Community action lights up South African villages, 08 Mar 2005, by Emmanuel Koro. Makuleke, a settlement of some 12,000 people, was forcibly removed from Kruger National Park in 1969 by South Africa’s apartheid regime to make way for expansion of the park. Now, largely thanks to the community’s own action, electricity has been brought to its villages and local people are involved in a successful eco-tourist project.