Eco Tourism and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The issue of development has been highly debated and crucial among development experts and policy makers world over. Economic development in itself cannot be viewed to be the only measure of development. Although, as countries make foreign exchange by exploiting and exporting the bio-diversity and other natural resources,
these may be considered as legitimate measures to better the country, these activities may cause irreversible and irreparable damages to the ecosystems. Unsustainable models of development, followed by rapid industrialization of the countries, have caused serious environmental issues especially in the highly industrialized countries that have triggered the urgency of offering alternative development models. Sustainability in this regard has already become a holistic concept that combines the environmental protection with economic and social growth. Sustainable tourism is a positive effort, focused on reducing the tensions and the stresses, which occur between the tourism sector, tourists, the natural environment and the host communities. The world tourism organization (WTO) defines ecotourism as having a responsible visit on relatively undisturbed natural environments in order to enjoy nature and wildlife and cultural features related to it. Environment-friendly tourism aims to balance the trade of tourism between the natural and social ecosystems and also focuses on reinvesting the trade to environmental conservation and community welfare. Canadian Environmental Advisory Council (CEAC) also outlines ecotourism as an educational and nature-based traveling experience that aims at conserving the ecosystem and upholding the cultural integrity of the host communities. This view emphasizes the even allocation of benefits between four sources, namely the natural
resources, the tourism industry, the local communities and the visitors, and on this basis, ecotourism is a critical aspect of sustainable development.