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FORUM: Is Ecotourism Sustainable?
Wall1
1Department of Geography Faculty of Environmental Studies University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
Environmental Management
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Tourism can contribute to sustainable development if it is economically viable, ecologically sensitive, and culturally appropriate. However, ecotourism, often promoted as sustainable, presents challenges and requires careful planning and management for true sustainable development.
Area of Science:
- Tourism Studies
- Sustainable Development
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Defining sustainable tourism and its relationship with broader sustainable development goals is crucial.
- Ecotourism is frequently proposed as a sustainable tourism model, but its definition and implications require clarification.
- Existing literature often conflates sustainable tourism and ecotourism, potentially overlooking critical inter-sectoral linkages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically examine the potential contribution of tourism, specifically ecotourism, to sustainable development.
- To differentiate between sustainable tourism and ecotourism, highlighting their distinct characteristics and challenges.
- To assess the economic, ecological, and cultural viability of ecotourism in contributing to sustainable development.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of tourism, sustainable development, and ecotourism definitions.
- Review of economic, ecological, and cultural factors influencing tourism's impact on destinations.
- Comparative assessment of sustainable tourism principles versus ecotourism practices.
Main Results:
- Sustainable tourism requires economic viability, ecological sensitivity, and cultural appropriateness to contribute to sustainable development.
- Ecotourism, despite its aims, may pose significant challenges to destinations, especially concerning resource competition and displacement of existing uses.
- Many forms of ecotourism are not inherently sustainable, and the terms 'sustainable tourism' and 'ecotourism' are not synonymous.
Conclusions:
- Ecotourism requires meticulous planning and management to align with sustainable development objectives.
- For tourism to genuinely support sustainable development, it must be integrated holistically, considering inter-sectoral dependencies.
- Clarifying terminology and understanding the specific impacts of different tourism models are essential for achieving sustainable development goals.