Ecotourism is Fun and Friendly
August 22nd 2007 20:34
Sea lions greet visitors to the Galapagos Islands before they ever set foot onboard ship
Many destinations are almost esclusively marketed towards green tourists. New Zealand's model stance on the environment is the political reflection of the marketing scheme, "100% Pure New Zealand." A country's reliance on environmental purity and unique indigenous life makes the fight against harmful introduced species (and every introduced species is) a matter of survival for the tourism industry.
Tourists kayak as part of a group tour of Abel Tasman National Park in NZ
The same is true of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. The completely unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands is world renowed. Tourists flock from around the globe to catch a glimpse of blue-footed boobies, sea lions, hammerhead sharks, penguins, and the tortoises for which the islands are named. Cruises take tourists around on a number of different expedition routes, and since the Galapagos Islands have a minimal number of human inhabitants it's easy to feel a connection with the times when Darwin first set foot on the islands with amazement.
Ecotourism is a fantastic revolution in the tourism industry-- countries' resources are more strictly monitored in cases where the livelihood of many of its citizens depends on those resources being marketed to foreigners. Ecotourism also capitalizes on renewable or unused resources-- by encouraging visitors to come and see natural wonders rather than selling or exploiting those resources, countries can ensure that the environment will be there for years to come (as will their brand of tourism).
Any amount of tourists does, however, take a toll on the environment. Even when tourists are coming exclusively to hike, snorkel, or even just sight-see, their being in the environment always leaves at least a small impact. This has led many countries to impose restrictions on the number of tourists coming in, as Ecuador has done with the Galapagos Islands. These restrictions complicate things for the home country, because by limiting tourist numbers they can ensure that they also limit the negative effects, but at the same time they place a cap on the profitability of ecotourism.
Ecotourism opens a lot of doors to debate. Is it better for a country than conventional tourism? Does ecotourism pose a threat to conservation if it should ever go out of fashion? It's the dawning of a new age of travel for many people in America and elsewhere, but on what age does this sun set and where is the tourism horizon headed?
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