Tourism

Ecotourism, Nature Based Tourism and Wildlife tourism: with a focus on Costa Rica

Ecotourism is defined as• "responsible travel to natural areas

that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people"

• The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) 1990.

Ecotourism

• Emerges as alternative to the impacts of mass tourism;

• As an authentic based tourism focused on 'natural' areas;

• Jafar Jafari's "Tourism Platforms";• That an optimistic uncritical period of

tourism development - the Advocacy Platform - was replaced by more critical views on the effects of tourism;

• This was followed by an Adaptancy Platform - focused on Alternative tourism

Ecotourism, Nature based tourism

• Ecotourism is different from nature based tourism it is argued;

• While "nature-based tourism" is simply describes travel to natural places;

• Ecotourism is supposed to differ due to it's focus on benefits for local communities;

• And on conservation and education;

Ecotourism principles• Minimize impact.• Build environmental and cultural

awareness and respect.• Provide positive experiences for both

visitors and hosts.• Provide direct financial benefits for

conservation.• Provide financial benefits and

empowerment for local people.• Raise sensitivity to host countries' political,

environmental, and social climate.

Martha Honey - aspects of ecotourism

• Contributes to biodiversity conservation• Sustains the well-being of local people.• Includes a learning experience.• Involves responsible action by tourists and

the tourism industry.• Small-scale groups delivered by small

business.• Low consumption of non-renewable

resources.• Local participation, ownership and business

opportunities for rural people.

Ecotourism spectrum - harder and softer

Wildlife tourism• This has similarities with ecotourism and

nature-based tourism;• But can be tourism just focused on wildlife

and perhaps conservation• But is not necessarily focused on local

community benefits or evene ducation;• E.g cruise ship passengers visiting Komodo

NP to see ‘dragons’;• World Travel Market Talks, London 2014:• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_DcSmI

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Costa Rica• A few videos on tourism to get us started• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQw0

7Lt12E• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMydsp

L8mes• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxmzzl

9ORds• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wZHs

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Costa Rica tourism• 2012 - 2.343 million international tourist

visitors;• Market?• 1.139m from N. America;• 721,000 from Central America;• 136,458 from S.America;• 285,000 from Europe• Economy has been deregulated, opened

to foreign investment;

Tourism in Costa Rica

• Influenced by scientists from the elite class;• Whom had access to government;• To make protected areas across the country

- 28% is now protected;• Tourism developed next to many of the

National Parks through small private investors;

• Mainly foreign owned and small-scale at first;

Certificate in Sustainable Tourism

• Developed by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT),

• Voluntary and free to join with small fee for annual evaluations ;

• The program seeks to certify the level of sustainability of the lodging establishment through its assessment tool,

• Which measures the business’ performance in four major areas of development.

CST - 4 main areas• Physical-biological parameters:• evaluates the interaction between the

company and its surrounding natural habitat.

• 2. Infrastructure and services:• evaluates the management policies and

the operational systems within the company and its infrastructure.

• 3. External clients:• evaluates the interaction of the company with

its clients • Encourages local procurement and local

economic linkages• 4. Socio-economic environment:• evaluates the interaction of the company with

the local communities and the population in general.

• Aims for 60% or more of staff be Costa Ricans, for administration also to be local;

• For training of staff and education;• Lapa Rios - 5 leaves :

http://www.laparios.com/

Access and visitors• Many of the major

ecotourist attractions are hard to access;

• This acts to filter visitors;• Monteverde has been

assessing whether to install a paved road linked to the interamerican highway;

• This would link it to main airports and the cruise port.

• But will it change ecotourism to a mass tourism product?

Ecotourism effects• Much ecotourism is foreign owned but quite small;• Some ecotourism lodges have bought up forest as

‘reserves’ effecting access for locals;• Local people find it hard to access credit to start

businesses;• Some can work in lodges, or as guides, but others

frozen out of benefits;• But government seems to be encouraging larger

hotels/resorts to move in;• Problems of sewage disposal emerged in 2008 when it

emerged a big resort’s sewage system had failed;• http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2008/0

417/p13s02-sten.html

Costa Rica film• We watch “The Goose with Golden Eggs:

Tourism on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast” Centre for Responsible Tourism (CREST) Films (2013);

• Examines the differing impacts of different models of coastal tourism in Costa Rica;

• What are the main arguments of the film?• What alternative scenarios are put forward to

large scale mass tourism?