The Potential of Ecotourism in Developing Countries - Coursework Example

Introduction The tourism industry has grown exponentially in the last few years. The onset of technology, emerging markets, rapid global changes, rising incomes have all contributed in making “tourism” one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The concept of tourism has evolved and now includes a whole range of sub definitions. “Eco-tourism” is perhaps the most important branch off in conjunction to tourism and has gained great popularity in recent years. The International Ecotourism Society (1990), first of its kind, set out to provide a succinct definition of “ecotourism”. According to this definition, ecotourism is responsible and accountable travel to natural areas with the aim of preserving the environment, minimizing outside impact, building environmental and cultural awareness and improving the financial and economic wellbeing of the local people involved. According to Beeton (1998), ecotourism in essence has three important elements; it is nature based which is a reference to the nature of the environment and includes the flora and fauna of the environment and can also mean to include the man made modifications to nature. The second element is that ecotourism be educative. With people becoming more socially and environmentally aware of their surroundings, there is a growing expectation that they be provided with detailed information about the place they are visiting. This not only means giving figures and dates on when and how the environment came into being, but it also includes providing detailed historical and religious accounts of the place and the people that first abided there. The third element, important to the ecotourism concept is that it be managed in a sustained way. This means minimizing foreign impact on the environment and making an effort in trying to preserve its beauty and significance for future generations. This may often mean limiting the physical stress on the environment by reducing the number of tourists allowed in the area, implementing better waste disposal techniques or simply conserving and protecting the wildlife pertinent to that area. Acting in a responsible way also means taking into consideration the impact tourism would have on the local communities. Because the environment would be considered as culturally significant for the local people, it becomes necessary to take care that tourism does not in any way hurt the well being of such communities. Infact one way of improving the well being of the local communities would be to provide them with direct financial benefits to help them conserve the environment or purchasing goods and services directly from them and empowering them. As can be seen from the above discussion, the main difference, as Beeton (1998) points out, between other types of tourism and eco-tourism is that eco-tourism is more involved in conserving the ecological aspect of the environment; there is greater attention given to the ethical aspect of preserving the environment and improving the well being of the local communities involved. Ecotourism activities can include a whole range of activities from photography, wild life viewing, bird watching, mountaineering and even skiing. These activities can come under different categories of tourism but they become ecotourism activities solely when people become aware of the ethical responsibility they have in preserving and conserving the environment. It is therefore not hard to imagine why ecotourism is given precedence in the study of sociology. Sociology, put simply, is the study of the society. It provides deep insight about the social behavior and activities of humans within a society. Buckley (2004), states that the study of social norms is an inherent part of the discipline of sociology and social norms especially pertinent to outdoor creation, have drawn considerable attention in the past few years. Therefore, ecotourism in sociological terms simply seeks to define social norms which are used in evaluating outdoor behavior and environmental conditions. The growth of eco-tourism, as mentioned before, has been on the rise. Hill & Gale (2009) stated that in 2004 alone, the ecotourism industry was growing three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole. With the growth of ecotourism, come many advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps, the greatest effects of ecotourism are felt in developing countries. The rest of this paper will attempt to explain the advantages and disadvantages associated with the ecotourism industry in developing countries and will highlight the strategies that can be followed in trying to sustain an environmental conscious style of tourism. Before delving into the theoretical framework of the ecotourism industry in developing countries, it is very important to clearly define what is meant by developing countries. According to Ross & Harmsen (2001), The World Bank defines all low income and middle-income countries as developing countries. These countries have generally not reached a level of industrialization with respect to their population and are characterized by a low standard of living, high population growth and low human development indicators (literacy level, per capita income, and life expectancy). Although, there are other techniques to amalgamate developing countries under a single definition, these characteristics are generally seen as the most common features of developing countries. Developing countries which promote their ecotourism industry, therefore exercise a greater ability to reap benefits and have a higher chance of improving their standing globally. There are numerous benefits associated with encouraging the growth of an environmentally responsible tourism style in such countries. Encouraging ecotourism in developing countries would firstly and fore mostly help the economy diversify. As a result of promoting ecotourism, more businesses will spring up and further business expansion in different fields would help spread the risk over a range of diverse economic activities. This is most important relevant to those developing countries who are highly dependent on a single sector in their economy (oil production or agricultural production). The diversification will also help bring in monetary benefits for the local economy. By bringing people into the area, new money will be injected into the economy. The new money circulating in the economy can be used in a variety of forms. It can be used on public expenditure and can be spent on building infrastructure for the country. It can also take the form of greater employment opportunities, and increased production which will attempt to increase the GDP of the country. Production induced phenomenon will work when businesses will buy goods and services from other business and consumption induced phenomenon will work when the final consumers would buy goods and services. Both of these effects would attempt to increase the income of the country as a whole. Also, there will be a greater foreign exchange reserves for the developing country. This can have huge impact on the monetary and financial standing of the country in the international arena. With a growing foreign exchange reserve, a greater consumer confidence will be built among international players and international investment can be seen as one of the beneficial consequence arising from the situation (Beeton, 1998). According to Honey (2008), free markets and privatization has been the driving force of ecotourism. State owned ecotourism ventures were inefficient in providing ecotourists with the holistic experience of ecotourism and thus a lot of them were forced to shut down by international agencies that were rooting for privatization of ecotourism. Therefore, it can be said that ecotourism in a sense also promoted free markets and economic globalization in developing countries and therefore an important propellant for economic growth. In addition to yielding the above mentioned economic benefits, there are advantages that ecotourism can produce. A sensible and enjoyable ecotourism strategy can target ecotourists and make them prolong their stay in the country which will again have a positive effect on the local community. They would be buying more goods and services directly from the local people and therefore increasing the flow of foreign exchange in the country. It would also give the developing country a chance to improve its image and popularize its goods and services in front of international tourists. This will encourage businesses to produce more efficiently and offer tourists greater and higher quality goods and services; it will promote a sense of competition among producers which is proficient in itself (Beeton, 1998). Ecotourism is very important in earning revenues for sustaining and conserving the tourist location itself. When tourists go sightseeing, usually they are charged a fee. This fee usually goes in the maintenance and development of the tourism site which are important steps in preserving the location for future generations (Beeton, 1998). Moreover, the importance given to the sheer “environmental value” of nature can be seen as a big advantage of ecotourism. The sense of responsibility that it instills in the individual goes a long way in promoting a better way of living. In order to capture the naturalness of the environment and help maintain an ecotourism ethics, economic incentives can be given to private landowners or local area communities to prevent them from turning the environment into other possible economic ventures (Beeton, 1998). Also, ecotourism offers a better alternative to the pollution inducing environment altering practices that take place, especially in rural communities. Activities such as cattle ranching, oil exploitation or logging can have detrimental effects on the environment. By encouraging ecotourism, these sites can be naturally maintained with least man made modifications and influences (Beeton, 1998). Apart from the economic benefits associated with ecotourism, there are other intangible benefits that are may prove to be very advantageous for developing countries. The sheer aesthetic beauty of the natural environment is very important for local communities. Scenic beauty is not only refreshing to the eyes but it improves the quality of an individual’s life. For developing countries, who measure low on human development indicators, this may be an important factor to consider. Additionally, because these countries fall behind in the international ranking, encouraging ecotourism to these destinations can offer them a sense of “pride” and provide them with the satisfaction that their country is worth paying attention too. This can give them a greater chance of being recognized in the international arena and help them compete with other more developed countries (Beeton, 1998). Also, ecotourism also promotes a sense of cultural awareness among ecotourists. It gives them the background knowledge of the tourist destination, its historical and cultural significance and helps promote a greater sense of tolerance in individuals. In a rapidly changing world where technological progress has taken precedent above everything else, travelling and learning about a new destination promotes a far more practical learning experience. Benefits arising from ecotourism promotion have been evaluated in lot of developing country studies. According to Honey (2008), many third world countries resorted to ecotourism in the 1980’s. This need arose from recognizing that ecotourism was a better alternative to activities that emphasized destruction of the natural environment and also it was a more profitable option than other choices available. Honey (2008) quotes that a study done in South Africa revealed that net income earned from wildlife tourism was almost eleven times higher than the income earned by raising cattle and also this created jobs fifteen times greater than what the cattle ranching job would create. Another study done in Iceland found that whale watching generated around one billion of economic value, more than any other economic activity the country indulges in. On the one hand, where ecotourism promotes great advantages to the developing community, in some cases it may also prove to be disadvantageous. Before diving into the problems associated with ecotourism, there are definitional problems which need to be addressed. There has been a lot of disagreement on what encompasses “ecotourism”. Over the years, various special right groups have exploited the meaning of ecotourism for their own benefit. For example, environmentalists usually concentrate on the “nature-based” aspect of ecotourism while governments and tourist industries usually focus on the “product-based” aspect of tourism so that the earnings and revenue generated are the final products of this type of tourism and emphasis should be put on the economic benefits that accrue out of the activity. Because of this point of contention, it has been relatively difficult to measure the outcome of ecotourism (Hussain, 2008). Some of the disadvantages of promoting ecotourism in a developing country can be that the country might become highly dependent on the tourism sector of its economy. As with other economic activities, it is very important to maintain a balance within an economy. By depending on just one sector, the country faces a huge risk. If, for example, the tourism sector suffers as a consequence of a natural disaster or because of political warship, the tourism industry would be the first one to suffer. And for developing countries, who already suffer from the throes of economic hardship, this can be a hard felt blow. Although the concept of ecotourism promotes a sense of preservation and conversation in maintaining the biodiversity of the environment, the growing impacts of commercialism are almost unavoidable. The local communities are facing negative impacts as a result of this commercialism and the tourist destination itself faces a huge threat in the form of physical overburdening. This is an era of rapid globalization and tourism is an activity which is commercial in its purest sense, therefore no matter how many rules are formulated in following a strict code of ecotourism ethics, there are bound to be huge gaps in what is expected and what is done. Developing countries, which are already weak in terms of finances, have to spend if not large but a considerable amount of money to accommodate and host the tourists who visit their country. Additional infrastructures may need to be built or the money may have to be spent on repair and maintenance of other close by sites. In order to send out a positive message to international tourists, it is very important to maintain a proper and state of the art facilities in the country. This requires money and sheer sense of commitment and determination (Hussain, 2008). In conjunction with the above described disadvantages, another matter to consider is the amount of pollution that is generated because of undertaking ecotourism activities. Hosting a large number of tourists would inevitably cause land pollution, noise pollution and therefore have degradable effects on the environment. Again, the money spent in trying to counter pollution would require spending from the national reserve and for developing countries this would be an additional burden on the financially weak position of the country. This is contradiction to the whole concept of ecotourism, which strives to maintain and conserve the environment and nature based tourist destinations. There is also going to be a waste of precious resources with ecotourism. For example, Hussain (2008) suggests that a great deal of non-renewable energy is required for the arrival of tourists to the particular destination, which is often located in a remote place. A destination 10000 km away requires 100 liters of fuel per person. Also, ecotourism may pose as a threat to the local tribe culture within a country. There may be conservative groups in the country who do not want to open their unique traditions to the world so openly; this is mostly true in the case of developing countries. For example, Fritsch & Johansson (2004), talk about the tourism growth of Nepal and state that the Sherpa’s are a community who succeeded in preserving their culture despite Nepal being one of the fastest growing tourist country of the world. When it comes to developing countries, they often occupy a vulnerable position in the international arena. If more developed countries feel that developing countries have more to offer in terms of their ecotourism, they may exploit these countries by imposing sanctions or political pressure. Even when it may not be in the best interest of developing countries, such measures can force them to open up their tourism sector, but with huge consequences and additional burden on their economic resources. Additionally, Higham & Lasseau (2007) point out that tourist demand is difficult to assess, there are limited strategies that tourist agencies or those promoting ecotourism have on their hand to encourage and increase its growth. If demand develops rapidly, it often outstrips and runs far ahead of effective legislation and leads to management paralysis. Having discussed the advantages and disadvantages of ecotourism for developing countries, it is imperative to provide an illustrative example of the above. One developing country which embraced ecotourism is Kenya. Kenya is a major tourist attraction and attracts over one million of tourists annually; the country earns in millions because of its wildlife tourist attraction. However, there have been advantages and disadvantages associated with promoting this type of tourism. For the local communities, it has been a mix of benefits and losses. Masaai ecotourism retains and employs the traditional and cultural skills of the place, further the income that is generated through tourism activities is spent on improving the well being of the local community. However, at the same time nomadic tribes are often displaced and large chunks of grazing lands are destroyed to accommodate tourists every year. Also, there is a growing dependency on foreign income because of tourism (Richardson, 2004). There are degradable effects on the vegetation, wildlife and soil structure of the destinations. Although most of the income from ecotourism is regenerated in trying to preserve the environment and trying to protect rare species of animals, it is often found that tourists misuse or destroy the environment when for example driving off from their cars to closely inspect a particular animal or a destination. Also, the use of hot air balloons often frightens animals and makes them run off. Many tourists who visit also affect the breeding cycles of animals and disrupt their life. Although ecotourism does encourage better farming practices and allows soil to develop and build in the protected environments, in some cases ecotourism can lead to soil erosion. The use of tourist minivans for example compact the soil, prevent their drainage which often leads to soil erosion and dry patches (Richardson, 2004). As can be seen from the above example, ecotourism is a concept which is very viable in theory but it is very hard to implement in real life. The theoretical framework behind ecotourism if followed strictly would lead to environments which will flourish and there will be a greater sense of responsibility in our generation and a cautious outlook on how to use our environmental resources and protect the Earth. However, in this rapid age of globalization, as mentioned above, there is a greater trend towards commercialization and making the world as compact as possible. Therefore, it is very likely that ecotourism is seen as purely in its economic sense and only for the economic benefits that it provides. A number of strategies can be proposed to make ecotourism more sustainable than it is today. For one, a clear mission and vision need to be implemented in designing an ecotourism policy. Though this may be difficult in view of the definitional problem that the term faces, developing countries should seek professional advice and maintain a committee of experts to devise an ecotourism plan for the country. This is because developing countries cannot afford to waste their precious resources just in an attempt to experiment. They are faced with tight financial and economic resources which have to be efficiently utilized or else they will further fall back in terms of their world rankings. An environment protection strategy can be implemented which can assess the actions of ecotourists and how to deal with them (Hussain, 2008). Additionally, ecotourism should employ ecotourist guides who have the qualifications necessary to communicate environmental conscious issues to the public. If the ecotourist guides display a comprehensive knowledge of the environment and are able to convince people to display a sense of responsibility then the central idea behind ecotourism can fully come into practice. People will follow a person who himself is passionate about the environment and can address any concerns that people have. Also as Hussain (2008) mentions there is a need to practice ecotourism on a small scale. This is very vital for developing counties who, as already mentioned before have restraints on their economic resources. By first operating on a smaller scale, the negative effects associated with ecotourism can be greatly marginalized. The countries can also asses if they can expand the ecotourism business onto a much larger scale. The most important strategy for a sustained ecotourism approach is to increase the participation and involvement of the local people. The whole essence of ecotourism lies in its ability to improve the well being of the local community. This can usually be done by reducing poverty or unemployment. When local people feel that they are benefitting from the whole ecotourism business, it will provide a much wider scope for ecotourism to be practiced on a larger scope and the country as a whole would be more able to benefit from the advantages derived by ecotourism (Hussain, 2008). At the same time, however, it is important to respect the culture and traditions of those groups who do not wish to expose their cultural heritage to the larger world. Another very important concept in ecotourism is the amount of emphasis given on education. Educational training needs to be an integral part of this concept. This does not only involve educational training of tourist guides but if a country wants to promote more sustainable ecotourism, it should also advertise the educative approach on its tourist websites, agencies and even travel and booking companies. People should also adopt an educational approach as individuals and try to inform themselves on the responsibility they have towards the environment (Hussain, 2008). Conclusion Developing countries are unique in their characteristics and because of they are rated low in providing above average standard of living and high human development indicators, ecotourism is one such economic activity which may able to reap them with benefits. However, the promotion of ecotourism must be done with caution because it can also put an additional burden on the financial and economic resources of the country. References Beeton, S., 1998. Ecotourism: A practical guide for rural communities. Australia: Land Links Press. Buckley, R., 2004. Impacts Positive and Negative: Links between Environment and Ecotourism. In Buckley, R. Environmental Impacts of Ecotourism. Massachusetts Avenue: CABI Publishing.Ch1. Honey, M., 2008. Ecotourism and sustainable development: Who owns Paradise? 2nd Ed. Connecticut Avenue: Island Press. Hill, J., & Gale, T., 2009. Ecotourism and environmental sustainability: Principle and Practices. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing. Fritsch, A., & Johannsen, K., 2004. Ecotourism in Appalachia: Marketing the Mountains. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. Richardson, P., 2004. The New Wider World CourseMate for CCEA and GCSE Geography. 2nd ed. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Hussain, M., 2008. Geography of India for Civil Ser Exam. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Higham, J., & Lasseau, D., 2007. Defining Critical Habitats. In: Higham, J. Critical ecotourism: Understanding a complex Tourism Phenomenon. USA: Elsevier Ltd. Ch 13. Ross, D., & Harmsen, R., 2001. Official Financing for Developing Countries. Washington: International Monetary Fund Publication Services. International Ecotourism Society, 2010. What is Ecotourism? Accessed on 11th January 2011. Accessed from < http://www.ecotourism.org> Read More