Ecotourism: Perspectives and Experiences

Ecotourism or nature travel has become the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. Taking into consideration the growing importance of ecotourism at the global level, the United Nations had declared 2002 the International Year of Ecotourism, and organized the first Global Ecotourism Conference in 2002. The next major global conference on ecotourism was organized at Oslo by UNEP in May, 2007. It reviewed the achievements in the ecotourism field and assessed challenges facing the industry to strengthen the unique contribution of ecotourism to conservation and sustainable development. Various countries have brought out practical strategies in addressing challenges facing the ecotourism community. This book focuses on ecotourism experiences and strategies of these countries, ecotourism and local economic development, how ecotourism can generate employment options and economic benefits and its implications for nature and culture conservation. The book is divided into two sections and includes sixteen articles and one annexure. The first section discusses the concepts of ecotourism, (green travel or nature travel) ecotourism challenges within a sustainable development agenda, evaluating ecotourism from the perspective of host community and local tour operators, ecotourism and employment generation, luxury ecotourism which includes ecolodges in remote unspoilt locations. The second section includes country experiences and studies on India, Sri Lanka, China, Costa Rica, Malaysia, New Zealand, Finland and Uganda. The Oslo Statement on ecotourism by International Ecotourism Society and Global Ecotourism Conference 2007 is included as an annexure.