What is (not) Ecotourism

What is

Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (visitors, staff and the visited)”

<Global Ecotourism Network, 2016>

This means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should abide by the following authentic ecotourism principles:

  • Produce direct financial benefits for conservation.
  • Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
  • Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate.
  • Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
  • Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
  • Minimize physical, social, behavioral and psychological impacts on fauna and flora.
  • Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of indigenous and local peoples and work in partnership to create empowerment.

Ecotourism integrity:

  • Holds eco- & socio-centric values and ETHICS.
  • Creates an ecological and social CONSCIENCE.
  • Is NON-CONSUMPTIVE in relation to nature.

Non-consumptive means that ecotourism is not associated with activities like logging, mining, 4 culling, recreational hunting including fishing.

The Mohonk Agreement (2000), a proposal for International Certification of Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism saw ecotourism as sustainable tourism with a natural area focus and this adds the following criteria to the sustainable tourism base:

  • Focus on personal experiences of nature leading to greater appreciation and understanding.
  • Interpretation and environmental awareness of nature, local society and culture.
  • Positive and active contributions to conservation of natural areas and biodiversity.
  • Economic, social and cultural benefits of local communities.
  • Fostering community involvement, where appropriate.

To be able to deliver its promises ecotourism is small scale, especially in fragile areas.

What is not

Ecotourism is often used relating to tourism activities that fail to meet the definition and the basic principles behind it. Most commonly it is confused with “tourism activities in nature”, “sustainable tourism” or “adventure tourism”.

The problem with that is “ecotourism” gets a bad name through headlines and texts like this.

“Uncontrolled ecotourism threatens National Parks”
If tourism is “uncontrolled” and “threatens“ natural areas, it is NOT ecotourism. 

“Greenwashing in ecotourism, or: how you are being fooled”
Greenwashing is rampant in travel and tourism. But if there is greenwashing, it is NOT ecotourism.

“Country X is set to become a global leader in the field of ecotourism as it plans to open the world’s largest underwater theme park”
A staged experience like a theme park is NOT ecotourism, even if it claims to be eco-friendly and researchers are involved. As diving is involved it could qualify as “adventure tourism”.

“Hunting tourism”
Some hunting tourism outfitters claim to be contributing to conservation and local communities, however, they fail to meet the principles of being non-consumptive/non-extractive and ethical in relation to nature.

“A Stay at a Sustainable Hotel or ‘Eco-Resort’”
Sustainable practices in large hotels and resorts are highly commendable. However, a “sustainable” or “eco” label is not synonymous to an ecotourism experience. Though the accommodation might be operated using good environmental practices, the siting and construction of the hotel might have had big impacts on the local environment and community. It is also rare to see an interpretation and education program to enrich the guest experience and enhance the knowledge of staff and local community.