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The difference between tourism (bad) and eco-tourism (good).Tourism: Fly by energy guzzling jet to distant location, stay in energy intensive Hilton, eating energy intensive imported food, enjoy services provided by low-paid natives, demonstrate to them by your presence the inferiority of their ways and their need for Western "development", being one of the c 5% of the world's people who can afford the luxury of international travel while perhaps 15,000 people die every day because they can't get sufficient fuel to sterilise their drinking water, in order to do things other than look at nature.

Eco-tourism: : Fly by energy guzzling jet to distant location, stay in energy intensive Hilton, eating imported food, enjoy services provided by low-paid natives, demonstrate to them by your presence the inferiority of their ways and their need for Western "development", being one of the c 5% of the world's people who can afford the luxury of international travel while perhaps 15,000 people die every day because they can't get sufficient fuel to sterilise their drinking water, in order to look at nature.

http://socialsciences.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/D66.Ecotourism.html

WHAT IS ECOTOURISM?

Ecotourism encourages visitors to a country to leave a small carbon footprint, to the benefit of local communities and environments. It has become an increasingly popular option for many people.

Ecotourism is a type of sustainable development. The aim of ecotourism is to reduce the impact that tourism has on naturally beautiful environments.

Any tourist destination can be harmed by increased levels of tourism. If areas are damaged or destroyed, they might not be available to future generations.

THE ECOTOURISM APPROACH

• Ensuring that tourism does not exploit the natural environment or local communities.

• Consultation with local communities on planned developments.

• Making sure that infrastructure improvements benefit local people and not just tourists.

GUIDELINES FOR ECOTOURISTS

Ecotourism sets out guidelines for how tourists should behave when visiting fragile environments:

• Protect the environment - keep to footpaths, don't leave litter or start fires.

• Don't interfere with wildlife - don't scare or feed the animals.

• Protect resources - don't take too many showers or use air conditioning.

• Support local communities - stay in locally owned accommodation and buy produce from local people.

• Eat local food and drink - avoid products that have been imported from MEDCs.

• Respect local customs and traditions - some communities are offended when tourists wear inappropriate clothes in religious places, strip off on the beach or behave in a rowdy manner. Locals appreciate tourists who try to learn the language and show an interest in their culture.

Ecotourism is increasingly popular and many people appreciate remote locations, small numbers of tourists and less sophisticated facilities. If a resort becomes overdeveloped then they will choose alternative destinations.

TOURISM IN AN LEDC – ADVANTAGES/ DISADVANTAGES Countries rich in physical resources - such as warm climates,

beautiful beaches, rare ecosystems, and abundant plant and animal life - are often sought-after holiday destinations by people from MEDCs. Tour operators and developers invest in these locations in the hope that they will become as popular as European resorts.

Places such as Kenya in East Africa, where tourists go on safari, or Bali in Indonesia, visited for its beautiful beaches, all benefit financially from tourism. However, tourism in LEDCs needs to be carefully managed to prevent harm to the environment and disruption to local communities.

Advantages

Foreign Currency – spent by tourists and invested into education, health and services

Jobs – for local people = new skills and money

Construction – creates jobs and develops skills

Local infrastructure – water, roads, taxis, airports are improved

Visitors get insight into local customs and traditions

Tourists – see beautiful landscapes and become educated about fragile environments

THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM ON LEDCS

Disadvantages

Profits – leak out of country to tour operators and hotel chains and not to locals

Foreign companies – may bring foreigners in for the skilled jobs so locals only get access to poorly paid

House prices – rise when investors buy property – too expensive for locals

Big projects – for locals might be sidelined to focus on tourists

Activities – which entertain rather than educate can belittle the local people

Pollution and disruption – to wildlife habitats can occur is tourism is not sustainable

ECOTOURIS

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DOES ECOTOURISM EXIST?

1. Ecotourism is complex / Hard to define / different from mass tourism

2. Your opinion . . . I think that . . . .

3. Ecotourism is good because Economic Social/ Cultural Environmental

4. Ecotourism is bad because Economic Social/ Cultural Environmental

5. Your opinion

3 places • Kenya • Belize • Costa

Rica 3 places • Kenya • Belize • Costa

Rica

2 mins 2 mins

7 mins

7 mins

2 mins

THE GOOD AND BAD . . . .

1. Information about Costa Rica (the Monteverde Cloud Forest)

2. Information about Ecotourism in Belize

3. Information about Ecotourism in Kenya

Any examples of where ecotourism has brought success? Where the environment has been supported? Where people have been supported in how they live?

Any examples of where ecotourism has failed or not made an impact? Where has the environment been damaged (eg pleasure periphery in antarctica?)

Booklet Page 4 for some other world examples of ecotourism that you might want to quote from.

Hamanasi Eco Mission Statement

Hamanasi believes in responsible, nature and cultural based eco-tourism. We understand the importance of preserving our environment and indigenous communities. Hamanasi is committed to protecting our ecosystems and their biodiversity by taking continual steps to be more environmentally friendly and aware. We actively encourage all employees and visitors to participate in these endeavors. Together, we can make a difference!

Hamanasi believes in responsible nature and cultural based eco-tourism. So what? Sadly, each day our world becomes a little less green. At Hamanasi, we are taking steps to minimize our negative impact on our environment while increasing awareness and appreciation for nature and diverse cultures. Our overall policy is to reduce, reuse and recycle while we have developed an Environmental Management Policy that we strive to carry out. It’s been a long way, but we have completed our first step which was to get Green Globe certified. We are proud to boast that we were recognized by the Belize Tourism Board for being the first beach resort in Belize to be Green Globe Certified. That was easy! Now we need to maintain it and work towards the Bronze certification. And yes! We welcome any ideas and feedback that you have. This is a process that we all must do together!http://www.hamanasi.com/eco_tourism.html