The Impact of Ecotourism
Ecotourism is defined as traveling to a place and having as little impact on the environment as possible. It is often contrasted with "regular" tourism.
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Community Benefits
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People living closest to ecotourism destinations are directly affected by conservation--or the lack thereof. Ecotourism can bring in much needed income and education to local and indigenous people.
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Developments
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One of the main impacts on the environment are new developments (hotels, beach resorts, etc.) According to The Nature Conservancy, "careful planning and management of tourism impacts are needed." More attention to how much impact these hotels and resorts have on the environment is now taken into consideration.
Forest Conservation
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According to the article, "Ecotourism and Its Impact on Forest Conservation," ecotourism can be effective: forest conservation can increase greatly when ecotourism and research are paired.
Costa Rica
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This country was one of the first to delve into the ecotourism market, and as of 2009 has 161 protected areas. According to travelcostarica.nu, ecotourism contributed to Costa Rica's interest in preserving its biodiversity.
Negative Impact
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Overcrowding has been an issue in the Galapagos Islands and Tibet (where there are more tourists then actual Tibetans). Also, viewing wildlife excessively can disturb feeding and breeding practices.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Grooming" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: inottawa (Sang Trinh) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
