 Ecotourism is another growing

segment of the tourism industry;

 The environment is becoming the

center of tourism development;

 Tourism has the power to improve

and / or destroy the environment;
If tourism is not properly planned and
implemented, it can:
 destroy vegetation;
 create congestion;
 pollute beaches;
 cause housing problems;
 litter tourist areas;
 Ignore the needs of local community;
According to Hector Ceballos
Lascurain:
“ Ecotourism is a type of tourism that
consist in traveling 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 this areas”
Types of Ecotourists
There are two types of ecotourists in terms of
motivation, attitude and behavior:

Hard Ecotourists
 prefer physically active and challenging
experiences that involve close personal contact with
nature and do not require on – site services;

 they prefer making their own travel arrangements

and specialized trips that require enough time to
reach choice of undisturbed natural venues;
Soft Ecotourists

 prefer experiences that are less taxing and

supported by accommodations, eating, parking
lots and other services;

 their commitment to environmental issues is not

as deep as that of a hard ecotourists;

 prefer travel arrangements made through travel

agencies and tour operators;
 Ecotourism Cycle

Ecotourism Sector
Effective opportunities for
appreciating and learning
about nature

Environmental and socio – Operator

cultural sustainability Sustainability

Satisfied ecotourists and

communities
Ecotourism Impacts
Environmental Impacts
Direct Benefits
Incentive to protect and rehabilitate and
maintain natural environments;

Direct Cost
Impacts on permanent environmental
restructuring of waste residuals and tourist
activities;

Economic Impacts
Direct Benefits
Generates revenue and employment;
Direct Costs
Start up and ongoing expenses in the acquisition of land,
establishment of protected areas, infrastructure,
superstructure etc.

Sociocultural Impacts
Direct Benefits
Fosters community stability and well – being through
economic benefits and local participation;

Direct Costs
Cultural and social invasion, imposes an elite alien value
system;

Erosion of local control and local inequalities;