Ecotourism as an Alternative

Eco-tourism means much more than just sightseeing. It is an experience. For many ecotourists and others involved in the eco-tourism industry, and this experience to differ materially to the experience of mass tourism. As noted earlier, the disappointment with the mass tourism has sparked the emergence of eco-tourism. To the extent that eco-tourism, as a form of alternative tourism, and provides a form of tourism is less problematic than mass tourism, it is likely as diverse as the problems associated with mass tourism. Butler (1992, p. 33) notes that tourism can have adverse effects with respect to higher prices (goods and labor taxes and earth); changes in local attitudes and behavior. Pressure on people (congestion, disorder, and alienation); loss of resources, and access to the rights and privacy; degrade or prostitution local culture; the reduction of aesthetics. Pollution in various forms; lack of control over the future and the destination. Specific problems such as vandalism, litter, traffic, seasonal and low-wage employment.
And address many of these problems by the principles of sustainability is described in the previous section. However, eco-tourism often offers an alternative to mass tourism in ways that do not necessarily fall under the principles described so far in this chapter. Some of these qualities seem important from the viewpoint of demand. In particular, tourists are increasingly seeking authenticity, immersion, and self-discovery and quality rather than quantity (Wheeler Hall, 1992). They are seeking novel, bold and of a personal nature in unique locations and remote and / or primitive experiments (White, 1996b). Thus, the eco-tourism developments less popular tend to be small in size and low level and involve a high degree of participation by the local population. Crowded areas, which should be avoided. The fact that a large proportion of eco-tourism market offers on a small scale and personal experiences indicate that these properties often represent an important element of eco-tourism experience. However, it is debatable whether this should be viewed as essential characteristics of eco-tourism, because this would exclude a large number of tours that meet the other criteria, some of which may surpass the dimensions of sustainability and education. Thus, this dimension is perhaps best thought of as a secondary theme or principle that distinguishes classic eco-tourism of the popular eco-tourism.
As with the other dimensions of eco-tourism, and this dimension is associated with some of the tensions. In particular, the existence of tension between the desire for authentic tourist alternative, low-key and intimate experiences and the need to be sensitive to the values ​​of society. As Butler (1989, cited in Butler, 1990, p 0.44) Note, it can be said that tourism, which puts tourists in local homes, even when they are culturally sympathetic, not desirous of change in the local behavior, is much more likely to lead to changes in the local behavior in the long term is the largest number of tourists in the tourist ghettos more traditional, with limited contact with the local population. More generally, it may or may not be tourism operations on a small scale more sustainable than large-scale operations (Thomlinson and Getz, 1996). Places targeted toward exclusive, quality rather than quantity, type of experience eco-tourism is also at risk of appearing elitist (Whelan, 1991). Click here to more details