About this book
'Ecotourism' is generally defined as fostering sustainable consumption of natural areas, including educative and conservation-supporting elements. It overlaps with and incorporates wildlife, adventure and nature-based tourism. This book offers conceptual and practical insights into the complex interactions between ecotourism and the natural environment. Drawing on a diverse series of case studies from around the world, a variety of ecotourism activities, ecosystem types, ecosystem components and environmental responses are examined. Both positive and negative tourism-environment relationships are introduced, challenging the inherent validity of sustainable ecotourism and exploring how tourism can enjoy a positive relationship with differing natural resources.
The book also analyzes the environmental impacts of ecotourism outside of destination areas, using the Global Warming Index for Leisure and Tourism (GWILT) and Global Ecological Footprint Analysis. Illustrated by studies of ecotourism in countries including Nepal, China, Peru, Alaska, Antarctica, India, Australia, New Zealand, Cuba and Belize, it looks at the roles of and interplay between tour operators, local resource managers and local communities. In doing so, it builds up a comprehensive and insightful overview of the impacts and mitigation measures which are or could be put into place to ensure sustainability. The book concludes by deliberating on the future of ecotourism and environmental sustainability, including suggestions for best practice.
Contents
Preface; Section 1 The Context of Ecotourism and Environmental Sustainability: Ecotourism and environmental sustainability: an introduction, Tim Gale and Jennifer Hill; An introduction to tourism-environment relationships, Andrew Holden; Thinking globally about ecotourism impact: the contribution of ecological footprint analysis, Colin Hunter.; Section 2 Thematic Case Studies: A comparative study of tourism impacts in alpine ecosystems in the Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) national park, Nepal and the Huascaran national park, Peru, Alton Byers; Tourism, local community and natural resources: tourism impact assessment and tourism management analysis in the Jiuzhaigou biosphere reserve, China, Wenjun Li; Environmental sustainability and cruise tourism in Arctic Canada, Emma J. Stewart and Dianne Draper; Managing bear-viewing to minimize human impacts on the species in Alaska, Terry D. DeBruyn and Tom S. Smith; Pugmarks, tyre-tracks and footprints: the actual and potential roles of ecotourism in protecting wild tigers in India, Simon Evans; Managing wildlife for people or people for wildlife? A case study of dingoes and tourism in Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia, Georgette Leah Burns; Kohlberg and the Kaikoura seals: a theoretical framework for informing seal viewing behaviour at the Kaikoura peninsula, New Zealand, Davina Stanford; Can the conservation attitudes and behavioural intentions of tourists to tropical forest be improved through biodiversity interpretation? A case study from Australia, Jennifer Hill and Georgie Gough; Broadening the view of ecotourism: botanic gardens in less developed countries, Lucy A. Sutherland.; Section 3 The Future for Ecotourism and Environmental Sustainability: Exploding the myth of ecotourism, Ken Simpson; Conclusion: lessons learnt and ways forward, Jennifer Hill and Tim Gale; Index.
Customer Reviews
Biography
Dr Jennifer Hill is Deputy Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Tim Gale is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Geography in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
