Ecotourism : aspects of its sustainability and compatibility.

Abstract

The ecotourism market appears to be expanding at a faster rate than that for tourism generally which itself is experiencing rapid growth. Factors have been identified which stimulate the growth of ecotourism. Even though ecotourism expands rapidly, there are many threats to its sustainability and expansion. Ecotourism depends on natural environments (both living and non-living) and any cultures closely connected with these. However, there are many different definitions of ecotourism so one has to be careful in dealing with the subject to determine which definition to use, especially if one is measuring the size of the ecotourism market. The sustainability of an ecotourism development or project can be expected to depend on its economics, the extent to which it is compatible with the conservation of its resource-base, its social acceptability and its political feasibility. Sustainability and compatibility aspects of ecotourism are closely linked. Ecotourism development may not be compatible in some areas with profitability, for example, or with appropriate levels of conservation and therefore may prove to be unsustainable. Or other economic developments may be incompatible with the sustainability of ecotourism in an area. Consequently, government intervention in the management and development of ecotourism is often required. Much hope has been placed in the possibility of using the concept of carrying capacity to manage ecotourism. However, it is not a straightforward operational concept. Its application usually requires some valuations to be made and often these are unavoidably subjective. Nevertheless, carrying capacity constraints are sometimes imposed. Once a carrying capacity is determined, it is necessary to adopt measures such as the imposition of entry fees or allocation of permits to ensure that it is not exceeded. A combination of these measures have been adopted to manage ecotourism in the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha in Brazil in order to achieve social compatibility goals and foster sustainable ecotourism. In conclusion, this paper identifies many factors that must be taken into account in managing ecotourism so that it will be sustainable and highlights difficulties likely to encountered in this management