TUR 114- Ecotourism

Mr. Florendo E. Palattao, HRTM Instructor

SY 2010- 2011

Ecotourism and Ecotourists

By: Mr. Florendo E. Palattao

CONCEPTS AND VARIABLES OF ECOTOURISM

Laarman and Durst defined: Ecotourism as a nature tourism in which the traveler is drawn to a
destination because of his or her interest in one or more features of that destination’s natural
history.
 This visit combines education, recreation and often adventure.
 Made reference to nature tourism’s hard and soft dimensions based on the physical rigor
of the experience and also the level of interest in natural history.

Goodwin, 1996) defined: Ecotourism as a low impact nature tourism which contributes to the
maintenance of species and habitats either directly through a contribution to conservation and/
or indirectly by providing for revenue to the local community sufficient for local people to value,
and therefore protect, their wildlife heritage area as a source of income.

Key variables or principles that separate ecotourism from broad- based nature counterpart:
 Educative component
 Sustainability component
 Ethical nature of experience

The importance of management in guiding the ecotourism product was central to the work of
Fennell and Eagles ( 1990), who included the resource tour as the principal component of the
Ecotourism experience; the service industry, including tour operation, government policy,
resource management and community development; and the visitor experience, based on
marketing, visitor management and visitor attitudes.

 Fennell and Eagles ( 1990), recognized the value in management from the visitors
perspective, but also from the community and resource- based perspectives.

ECOTOURISM FRAMEWORK

Service Industry
Tour Operation Visitor
Marketing

Resource Visitor
management Resource Tour management

Visitor
Community
attitudes
Development
 TUR 114- Ecotourism
Mr. Florendo E. Palattao, HRTM Instructor
SY 2010- 2011

Ziffer defined: Ecotourism as a form of tourism inspired primarily by the natural history
of an area, including its indigenous cultures. The ecotourist visits relatively undeveloped
areas in the spirit of appreciation, participation and sensitivity.
 The ecotourist practices a non consumptive use of wildlife and natural resources
and contributes to the visited area through labor or financial means aimed at
directly benefiting the conservation of the site and the economic well being of the
local residents.
 The visit should strengthen the ecotourist’s appreciation and dedication to
conservation issues in general and to the specific needs of the locale.
 Ecotourism also implies a managed approach by the host country or region
which commits itself to establishing and maintaining the sites with the
participation of local residents, marketing them appropriately, enforcing
regulations and using the proceeds of the enterprise to fund the area’s land
management as well as community development.

Wallace and Pierce defined: Ecotourism as a travel to relatively undisturbed natural

areas for study, enjoyment or volunteer assistance. It is travel that concerns itself with
the flora, fauna, geology, and ecosystems of an area, as well as the people who live
nearby, their needs, their culture and their relationship to the land, it views natural areas
both as “home to all of us” in a global sense – ECO means home but hoem to nearly
residents specifically.
 It is envisioned as a tool for both conservation and sustainable development-
especially in areas where local people are asked to forgo the consumptive use of
resources for other.
 Ecotourism can be said to be TRUE ecotourism if it addresses to SIX principles:
1. It entails a type of use that minimizes negative impacts to the environment and to
local people.
2. It increases the awareness and understanding of an area’s natural and cultural
systems and the subsequent involvement of visitors in issues affecting those
systems.
3. It contributes to the conservation and management legally protected and other
natural areas.
4. It maximizes the early and long term participation of local people in the decision-
making process that determines the kind and amount of tourism that should
occur.
5. It directs economic and other benefits to local people that complement rather
than overwhelm or replace traditional practices
6. It provides special opportunities for local people and nature tourism employees to
utilize and visit natural areas and learn more from about the wonders that other
visitors come to see.
 TUR 114- Ecotourism
Mr. Florendo E. Palattao, HRTM Instructor
SY 2010- 2011

ADVENTURE TOURISM OR ECOTOURISM?

Tourism Canada: defined Adventure Tourism as an outdoor leisure activity that takes
place in an unusual, exotic, remote or wilderness destination, involves some form of
unconventional means of transportation, and tends to be associated with low or high
levels of activity

Under this definition:

 Nature observation
 Wildlife viewing
 Water adventure products
 Land adventure products
 Winter adventure products
 Air adventure products
Hall intensifies: “it is the activity more than the setting that provides the dominant
attraction for pursuit of adventure recreation and tourism.”

Model of Flow as Introduced by: CSIKSZENTMIHALYI (1990) – flow includes a number

of main elements, these includes:

1. Total immersion into the activity- this relates to the elimination of distractions that
enable the person to lose touch with his or her surroundings.
2. Enhanced concentration- a result of the previous factor that allows the participant
to forget about the unpleasant tasks that may be associated with the activity.
3. Actions directed at fulfilling the goal- the goals and objectives of the event are
clearly understood by the participant, who knows how best to approach the
situation.
4. The activity requires skill and challenge- the relationship between these two
variables is important in that if skill far exceeds challenge, boredom will result,
whereas if challenge far exceeds skill, anxiety will result.
5. Flow involves control- the participant exercises control over his or her
movements and the situation, with a degree of anticipation of the events which
will unfold.
6. A sense of transcendentalism- here the participant has the experience of
transcending his or her physical being, as rooted on the face of the earth, to
reach some higher level of understanding or being. A sense of oneness with the
surroundings or objects involved in the experience is felt.
7. The loss –of time- frequently participants fell as though they have been involved
for a short period of time ( one hour) when in fact they have involved for long
periods of time.
 TUR 114- Ecotourism
Mr. Florendo E. Palattao, HRTM Instructor
SY 2010- 2011

Tourist typologies and tourist types

KUSLER TYPIFIED ECOTOURISTS AS BELONGING TO THREE MAIN GROUPS:

1. Do- it- yourself- ecotourists- despite their relative anonymity, this group
comprise the largest percentage of all ecotourists. These individuals stay in a
variety of different types of accommodations, and have the mobility to visit any
number of settings. Their experience therefore is marked by a high degree of
flexibility.
2. Ecotourists on tours- this group expects a high degree of organization within
their tour, and travel to exotic destinations
3. School groups or scientific groups- these groups often become involved in
scientific research of an organization or individual, often stay in the same region
for extensive periods of time, and are willing to endure harsher site conditions
than other ecotourists.

LINBERG: emphasizes the importance of dedication and time as a function of defining

different tyoes of ecotourists, including what tourists wish to experience from
ecotourism, where they wish to travel, and how they wish to travel.

Four basic types:

1. Hard- core nature tourists- scientific researchers or members of tours specifically

designated for education, removal of litter, or similar purposes
2. Dedicated nature tourists- people who take trips specifically to see protected
areas and who want to understand local natural and cultural history.
3. Mainstream nature tourists- people who visit the Amazon, the Rwandan Gorilla
Park, or other destinations primarily to take an unusual trip.
4. Casual nature tourists- people who experience nature incidentally as part of a
broader trip.

Typology:
 Ecotourist was predominantly male, well educated, wealthy, and long staying.
 “ the male / female ratio was 52% to 48%, and the mean average age was 42.
 27% earned a family income between US $30, 000 to $60,000, before taxes
annually.
 Had doctoral degrees