Africa
MARGARET C. KIMOSOp
Friday, March 16, 2007
photo kim gjerstadt
Eco-tourism
Some critics point out that a lot of that money that is
brought in by tourists ends up back in many of the developed nations in terms
of “profits earned by foreign-owned businesses, promotional spending abroad or
payments for imported labor and goods.”
The international Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel
to natural areas that conserve the environment and improves the well-being of
local people”. Cox (2006) in her article notes that in the booming global
travel business, ecotourism is one of the fastest-growing segments. Those who
strongly advocate for this kind of tourism see it as a “benign tool for
sustainable economic development in even the poorest nations” However, those
who are critical of ecotourism point out to the dangers to fragile ecosystems
which visitors flock to see, and the threats to the wellbeing of indigenous
cultures as they come in contact with outsiders.
Cox notes that in the last twenty five years, many travelers have enjoyed
expanding opportunities to visit locations once considered impossibly remote.
Places like the Antarctica, Galapagos Islands and Mount Everest, have become
popular destination spots for many tourists in recent years. Cox notes that
for those tourists who seek meaningful experiences during their vacations,
ecotourism has been able to provide them with these kinds of opportunities.
Tourists are able to learn about different cultures and how other people live
and are also able to observe and learn about unique natural settings and
ecosystems. Advocates of ecotourism also point to the benefits that local
economies gain by participants in the ecotourism business. In fact a number of
development economists have pointed out that ecotourism is one of the best
methods of local community development especially in many poor communities.
This is especially so in communities where the indigenous people are made a
part of the decision making process and are closely involved in the ecotourism
projects.
Indeed there has been some evidence that this kind of program has worked in
some communities. In Kenya for instance, the Masaai and Samburu ethnic people
who live near many of the most popular wildlife destination spots in the
country that receive thousands of international tourists a year have partnered
with the government and both local and international tour operators to manage
some of the game parks and national reserves so that all the stakeholders can
benefit from the tourism trade. In the past these communities had been
marginalized and denied the benefits accruing from the tourism trade and this
had led to a lot of disenchantment and retaliation from the local communities.
Today, the development of these kinds of partnership has led to increasing
trust and openness and even led to greater efforts at conservation and
preservation of the natural environment by local communities and other key
stakeholders.
Those who are critical of such development however, point out that for many
other local communities around the world, ecotourism has not been the boon
they thought it would be. Some critics point out that a lot of that money that
is brought in by tourists ends up back in many of the developed nations in
terms of “profits earned by foreign-owned businesses, promotional spending
abroad or payments for imported labor and goods.”
Some have contended that many groups have joined the ecotourism or “green”
bandwagon just to make quick profits and not necessarily because they care too
much about the environment or even whether their services or tour offers are
really ecotourism related.
Even as ecotourism has benefited numerous communities around the world, there
has been increasing concern that fragile ecosystems are in great danger of
tremendous damage. Cox (2006) gives an example of Costa Rica, where as a
result of an explosion of visitors to some of its beautiful park systems,
hundreds of Costa Rican workers moved into these areas to provide services to
the tourists creating a negative environmental impact on the fringes of the
preserves. This shows that more needs to be done to balance population needs
with environmental protection.
On the whole, ecotourism can be beneficial to all stakeholders if managed
well. Cox (2006) notes that in “Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize and
Ecuador, more than 200 tourism operations in or near sensitive or protected
areas are receiving training in the “best practices” of sustainable tourism
including waste management and water and electricity conservation, as well as
social factors as paying adequate salaries and including local and indigenous
people in decision making.”
Indigenous-rights activists see the interpersonal connections and
first-person impressions derived from tourist visits as of great importance.
They contend that tourism should be utilized as a means of effective
communication with one another and as a better way of understanding the global
crisis that we face today.
REFERENCE
Cox, R. S. (2006, October 20). Ecotourism: Does it help or hurt fragile lands
and cultures? CQ Researcher, 16(37), 865-888.
MARGARET C.
KIMOSOP
