Ecotourism

Ecotourism is a form of tourism that seems to protect the natural environment through appropriate management systems. Ecotourism is designed to preserve the natural environment and is interested in three main aspects:
 * The livelihood of the local people
 * The natural environment and its preservation
 * The tourism industry: it seeks to maximise profit without jeopardising the natural environment

The opposite of ecotourism is mass tourism where tourism is focused on maximisation of profit. Tourists appear en masse without regard of the environment. This leads to litter and pollution, deforestation, disruption of animal life.

Characteristics of ecotourism
 * Involves understanding of the culture of the local people
 * There is a balance between economic development and the conservation of the environment
 * It involves the local people in the development process
 * Eco-tourists travel in small groups with a common interest; bird-watching, skiing, canoeing, etc.
 * Eco-tourists live with the local people

Case studies of ecotourism:
 * Baboon sanctuary in Belize, Honduras. (g. 240-242 Geo Course Companion)
 * Montverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica
 * Costa Del Sol in Spain

Sources of Conflicts

In rural areas where ecotourism is undertaken, conflicts could arise for the following reasons:
 * The provision of tourist infrastructure sometimes denies people access to their farmlands
 * Conservation of the natural environment sometimes goes against the workings of the local people.
 * When the tourists engage in unhealthy practices that goes against the culture of the local people, eg. Drumming and dancing at certain times of the year, sleeping with their women, etc.

Reasons for increase in ecotourism Some animals are nearing extinction, thus nature reserves are created to preserve them. These become tourist sites
 * Increase in the number of NGOs interested in protecting the local environment: WWF, Friends of the Earth, Green Peace
 * Increase in the number of NGOs that create awareness of animal rights: PETA