1) What is Ecotourism?

The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves
interpretation and education”. The term was first used by Mexican environmentalist Héctor
Ceballos-Lascuráin in 1987, who defined ecotourism as “… travelling to relatively undisturbed or
uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the
scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past
and present) found in these areas.”

These definitions highlight several consistent elements in ecotourism: a natural component and
nature-focused activities, a sustainable management component, and an education and
interpretation component. These elements help distinguish ecotourism from simple nature
tourism, in that ecotourism has a major focus in conservation and educating tourists and
creating meaningful relationships between tourist and destination. Also, ecotourism is not just
focused on the nature and the wildlife but also the culture that has developed amongst the
people that live in communion with nature.

2) The Concepts of Ecotourism

As mentioned in the definition, there are three major components or concepts central to
ecotourism: nature-based or a natural component, sustainability or sustainable management
component, and an education and interpretation component. Further, the sustainable
management component can be further broken down to environmental conservation and
benefits to the local community.

The natural component, that ecotourism finds its foundations in natural environments is basic.
Nature is the primary focus of ecotourism. Ecotourism is part of the wider set of nature-based
tourism, which includes not just ecotourism but also consumptive forms of tourism such as
those focused on hunting and fishing, as well as adventure or cultural tourism. The primary
difference is that ecotourism has the other three components that must be present for tourism
to be of the ecotourism variety.

One of the major focuses of the sustainability component is conservation, environmental

conservation. Ecotourism is not only interested in developing tourism programs that show
nature or tourists interacting with nature, but also focus on programs to preserve natural
environments. Ecotourism emphasizes ensuring that the natural environs are cared for. Part of
ecotourism is performing ecosystem management, the “integrated management of natural
landscapes, ecological processes, wildlife species and human activities, both within and adjacent
to protected areas”.

Sustainability also includes ensuring participation of and benefits to the local community. This
need for involving local communities comes from the reality that the fundamental resource that
ecotourism programs use is not just the natural environment but the local community as well.
Tourism activity cannot flourish if the surrounding community is not involved or is marginalized
or even threatened by the tourism development. Thus, ecotourism programs need to not only
conserve the environment, but also ensure that quality of life in the surrounding area becomes
better, or at the very least is not negatively affected.
 The last component is the educational and interpretative component. Learning is what makes
ecotourism different, and a lack of learning dilutes the ecotourism experience. A primary fixture
in ecotourism is guides and tour operators, who not only facilitate activities but also share
knowledge and personal experiences about the local natural environment. Guides promote both
the beauty of the tourist destination and the conservation efforts being done in the tourism
program. Education and interpretation involves creating and managing expectations and
apprehensions before getting to the destination, delivering facts and illustrations once contact is
made, and helping the tourist process the contact and enhancing any change in behaviour
regarding the environment or ecology.

3) Different Ecotourism destinations in the country per region

Region I – Hundred Islands National Park

Region II – Batanes
CAR – Sagada
Region III - Minalungao National Park
NCR - Las Piñas–Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area
Region IV-A – Mount Makiling Forest Reserve
Region V - Mayon Volcano Natural Park
Region IV-B - Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
Region VI - Bakhawan Ecopark

Region VII - Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary

Region VIII - Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape
Region IX- Great and Little Santa Cruz Islands Protected Landscape and Seascape.
Region X - Mount Malindang Natural Park
Region XI – Mount Hamiguitan
Region XII - Mount Apo Natural Park
Region XIII – Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
BARMM - Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary
4) The Philippine Ecotourism Master Plan
5) The Ecotourism contribution to Ambisyon 2040
6) Climate Change definition
7) Causes of climate change
8) Solution to climate change is behavioural change