Eco-tourism: Does it help or hurt fragile lands and cultures?

Ecotourism has become the in-thing today. More people are latching on to the ecotourism bandwagon in the hopes of gaining some benefit from this relatively new tourism phenomenon. However, of late there has been grave concern that rather than promoting and protecting the environment, ecotourism actually hurts the environment and that the costs far out way the benefits. The article reviewed below analyzes this critical issue from all angles.

The international Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and improves the well-being of local people”. Cox (2006) in her article notes that in the booming global travel business, ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing segments. Those who strongly advocate for this kind of tourism see it as a “benign tool for sustainable economic development in even the poorest nations” However, those who are critical of ecotourism point out to the dangers to fragile ecosystems which visitors flock to see, and the threats to the wellbeing of indigenous cultures as they come in contact with outsiders.

Cox notes that in the last twenty five years, many travelers have enjoyed expanding opportunities to visit locations once considered impossibly remote. Places like the Antarctica, Galapagos Islands and Mount Everest, have become popular destination spots for many tourists in recent years. Cox notes that for those tourists who seek meaningful experiences during their vacations, ecotourism has been able to provide them with these kinds of opportunities. Tourists are able to learn about different cultures and how other people live and are also able to observe and learn about unique natural settings and ecosystems. Advocates of ecotourism also point to the benefits that local economies gain by participants in the ecotourism business. In fact a number of development economists have pointed out that ecotourism is one of the best methods of local community development especially in many poor communities. This is especially so in communities where the indigenous people are made a part of the decision making process and are closely involved in the ecotourism projects.

Indeed there has been some evidence that this kind of program has worked in some communities. In Kenya for instance, the Masaai and Samburu ethnic people who live near many of the most popular wildlife destination spots in the country that receive thousands of international tourists a year have partnered with the government and both local and international tour operators to manage some of the game parks and national reserves so that all the stakeholders can benefit from the tourism trade. In the past these communities had been marginalized and denied the benefits accruing from the tourism trade and this had led to a lot of disenchantment and retaliation from the local communities. Today, the development of these kinds of partnership has led to increasing trust and openness and even led to greater efforts at conservation and preservation of the natural environment by local communities and other key stakeholders.

Those who are critical of such development however, point out that for many other local communities around the world, ecotourism has not been the boon they thought it would be. Some critics point out that a lot of that money that is brought in by tourists ends up back in many of the developed nations in terms of “profits earned by foreign-owned businesses, promotional spending abroad or payments for imported labor and goods.”

Some have contended that many groups have joined the ecotourism or “green” bandwagon just to make quick profits and not necessarily because they care too much about the environment or even whether their services or tour offers are really ecotourism related. This has led to calls for a certification system “reflecting a destination’s environmental and cultural sensitivity. Cox points out that those who advocate for such kind of certification system see it as the only “way to protect the market advantages of genuine ecotourism and encourage development of sustainable practices in the broader marketplace.” However, those who criticize such a move see it as one more way that “diminishes the involvement of indigenous people and exacerbate many of the problems ecotourism already creates for its communities.”

Even as ecotourism has benefited numerous communities around the world, there has been increasing concern that fragile ecosystems are in great danger of tremendous damage. Cox (2006) gives an example of Costa Rica, where as a result of an explosion of visitors to some of its beautiful park systems, hundreds of Costa Rican workers moved into these areas to provide services to the tourists creating a negative environmental impact on the fringes of the preserves. This shows that more needs to be done to balance population needs with environmental protection.

Implication for Governance values
On the whole, ecotourism can be beneficial to all stakeholders if managed well. Governments, conservation agencies, tour operators and local communities all need to work together to aggressively promote environmental sustainability. Sustainable practices are being encouraged on a global scale to mitigate the effects of increasing tourism around the world. Cox (2006) notes that in “Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize and Ecuador, more than 200 tourism operations in or near sensitive or protected areas are receiving training in the “best practices” of sustainable tourism including waste management and water and electricity conservation, as well as social factors as paying adequate salaries and including local and indigenous people in decision making.”

Others point out to the benefits accrued as a result of different people from different cultures meeting and learning from one another. Indigenous-rights activists see the interpersonal connections and first-person impressions derived from tourist visits as of great importance. They contend that tourism should be utilized as a means of effective communication with one another and as a better way of understanding the global crisis that we face today.

REFERENCE

Cox, R. S. (2006, October 20). Ecotourism: Does it help or hurt fragile lands and cultures? CQ Researcher, 16(37), 865-888.