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Hello Students,
On this blog we will be doing some exercises, viewing videos and offering our personal comments and responses to a very important topic in the area of tourism (ECOTOURISM). I hope that you will participate and that we can share our ideas and comments with other people interested in this topic.
What is Ecotourism?
The term “ecotourism” seems to have a different definition for everyone. While the details vary, most definitions of ecotourism refer to a special form of tourism that meets three criteria:
- It provides for conservation(conserve environment) measures;
- It includes meaningful community participation;
- It is profitable and can sustain itself.
We need to pay special attention to the consequences of ecotourism—some are negative impacts to both local cultures and the environment.
“Responsible tourism” calls attention to the fact that much of tourism simply is not responsible. Locals are exploited. Natural or cultural resources are treated with disrespect.
For travelers, responsible travel is simply treating others with the same respect you would ask for in your own community. While the tourism industry has long touted “destinations,” in fact we are simply entering someone else’s home.
Please let me hear from you about what you think should be the responsibilities of professionals who work in the area of Ecotourism.
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