Ecotourism activities have been expanding rapidly over the past two decades world-wide and further growth is expected in the future. Recognising its global importance, the United Nations designated the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, and its Commission on Sustainable Development requested international agencies, governments and the private sector to undertake supportive activities. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have joined forces to take the leading role in the preparation and co-ordination of activities to be undertaken at the international level during the IYE.

What is ecotourism?

Much has been written about ecotourism, but there is little consensus about its meaning, due to the many forms in which ecotourism activities are offered by a large and wide variety of operators, and practised by an even larger array of tourists.

While there is not a universal definition for ecotourism, its general characteristics can be summarised as follows:

1. All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas
2. It contains educational and interpretation features
3. It is generally, but not exclusively organised for small groups by specialised and small, locally owned businesses. Foreign operators of varying sizes also organise, operate and/or market ecotourism tours, generally for small groups.
4. It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment
5. It supports the protection of natural areas by

• generating economic benefits for host communities, organisations and authorities managing natural areas with conservation purposes,
• providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities,
• increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets, both among locals and tourists.

Over the years, it has also become clear that some concerns still need to be wholly addressed in ecotourism, such as:

• land tenure and control of the ecotourism development process by host communities,

• efficiency and fairness of the current concept of protected areas for protection of biological and cultural diversity
• the need for additional precautions and monitoring when operating in especially sensitive areas
• indigenous and traditional rights in areas suitable for ecotourism development,

Is sustainable tourism the same thing as ecotourism?

The principles of sustainable tourism were defined by WTO as early as 1988; sustainable tourism is "envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems".

A clear distinction should be made between the concepts of ecotourism and sustainable tourism: the term ecotourism itself refers to a segment within the tourism sector, while the sustainability principles should apply to all types of tourism activities, operations, establishments and projects, including conventional and alternative forms.

The international year of ecotourism will offer an opportunity to review successful ecotourism experiences world-wide, in order to consolidate tools and institutional frameworks that ensure its sustainable development in the future. This means maximising the economic, environmental and social benefits from ecotourism, while avoiding its past shortcomings and negative impacts.

Efforts to better understand ecotourism, as well as to improve its planning, management and marketing techniques have been conducted by many ecotourism companies and practitioners, governments and research people throughout the world. However, there has not been so far a truly comprehensive effort to allow the various stakeholders to voice their views, disseminate widely the results achieved, or to integrate such results so as to produce the necessary synergies that will ensure that ecotourism will indeed generate the economic, social and environmental benefits expected from it.

With the above in mind, WTO and UNEP aim at involving all the actors in the field of ecotourism during the International Year, with the following objectives in mind:

1. Generate greater awareness among public authorities, the private sector, the civil society and consumers regarding ecotourism’s capacity to contribute to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage in natural and rural areas, and the improvement of standards of living in those areas.

In order to reach the above goals, the two organisations envisage to jointly undertake the following main activities:

1. To publish, jointly with the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a guide for the sustainable development and management of tourism in national parks and protected areas, which are prime destinations for ecotourism.

3. To dedicate the World Tourism Day of 2002 to the subject of Ecotourism.
4. To create a Web-based venue to allow various organisations and stakeholder representatives to access information about activities and events, and exchange lessons learned on ecotourism projects.

5. The main event of the IYE: The World Ecotourism Summit

Among the many activities to be undertaken at the global, national, regional and local levels on the occasion of the International Year of Ecotourism throughout the world, this Summit will be the major landmark and it will be held in Quebec, Canada, 19-22 May 2002.

The Summit is expected to be the largest ever world-wide gathering of all types of stakeholders involved in ecotourism, including Ministers, public sector officials, tourism companies and their trade associations, local authorities, national park managers, NGOs relevant to the ecotourism sector, the academic community, and others. Further information will be provided one year before the Summit.

Take action and prepare for the IYE!

With a view to spreading as much as possible the results expected from this International Year, WTO and UNEP recommend that:

1. Governments encourage the establishment of inter-ministerial working groups within the National Tourism and Environment Administrations to co-ordinate activities relating to the International Year at the country level with those to be undertaken by WTO and UNEP at the international level.
2. Governments define, strengthen and disseminate as appropriate, a National Strategy and specific programmes for the sustainable development and management of ecotourism.
3. National governments provide technical, financial and promotional support for, and facilitate the creation and operation of small and medium size firms in the field of ecotourism where appropriate.
4. Multi-stakeholder regulating and monitoring systems be set up regarding ecotourism activities, particularly in what refers to the environmental and socio-cultural sustainability.
5. National and/or local committees for the celebration of the International Year of Ecotourism are set up involving all the stakeholders relevant to this activity (public tourism and environment authorities at the national and local levels, private sector, NGOs, host communities, etc.), as well as the local media.

5. Governments and other stakeholders are invited to inform the WTO Secretariat and UNEP of the activities planned for 2002 at the national level. These will be disseminated internationally.

Click below to e-mail this article to a friend or to post a link on your favorite sites. Thank you!

Written by: World Tourism

RELATED LINKS:

• EcoMall's Eco Travel Companies and Products Section

COMPANIES & PRODUCTS Air PurificationAromatherapyBabiesBeddingBirdingBody CareBooksBusiness OpportunitiesBusiness-to-BusinessCampingCataloguesClassifiedsCleaning ProductsClothingComputer ProductsConstructionConsultantsCraftsEco KidsEco TravelEducationEnergy ConservationEnergy Efficient HomesEngineeringFitness/YogaFlowersFoodsFootwearFurnitureGardenGiftsHardwareHempHerbsHouseholdIndustryInvestmentsJewelryLightingMagazinesMusicNatural HealthNatural Pest ControlNew AgeOfficeOutdoorsPaperPetsPromotional ResourcesRecycledSafe EnvironmentsSeeking CapitalSheltersSolar/WindToysTransportationVideosVitaminsWaterWeatherWholesaleWoodHow to Advertise*IN-HOUSE RESOURCES* What's NewActivism AlertsDaily Eco NewsGreen Living MagazineLocal Resources DatabaseAsk The ExpertsEco ChatroomEco ForumsArticlesEco QuotesInterviews and SpeechesNon-Profit GroupsEco LinksEco CartoonsKids LinksRenewable EnergyGovernment/EducationVeggie RestaurantsEco Audio/VideoEventsCommunicationsWhat People Are SayingAccoladesAwardsE-MailMailing List

AIR PURIFICATION	AROMATHERAPY	BABIES
BEDDING	BIRDING	BODY CARE
BOOKS	BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES	BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
CAMPING	CATALOGUES	CLASSIFIEDS
CLEANING PRODUCTS	CLOTHING	COMPUTER PRODUCTS
CONSTRUCTION	CONSULTANTS	CRAFTS
ECO KIDS	ECO TRAVEL	EDUCATION
ENERGY CONSERVATION	ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES	ENGINEERING
FITNESS-YOGA	FLOWERS	FOODS
FOOTWEAR	FURNITURE	GARDEN
GIFTS	HARDWARE	HEMP
HERBS	HOUSEHOLD	INDUSTRY
INVESTMENTS	JEWELRY	LIGHTING
MAGAZINES	MUSIC	NATURAL HEALTH
NATURAL PEST CONTROL	NEW AGE	OFFICE
OUTDOORS	PAPER	PETS
PROMOTIONAL RESOURCES	RECYCLED	SAFE ENVIRONMENTS
SEEKING CAPITAL	SHELTERS	SOLAR-WIND
TOYS	TRANSPORTATION	VIDEOS
VITAMINS	WATER	WEATHER
WHOLESALE	WOOD	HOW TO ADVERTISE

Updated Daily!

* * * IN-HOUSE RESOURCES * * *

WHAT'S NEW	ACTIVISM ALERTS	DAILY ECO NEWS
LOCAL RESOURCES DATABASE	ASK THE EXPERTS	ECO CHAT
ECO FORUMS	ARTICLES	ECO QUOTES
INTERVIEWS & SPEECHES	NON-PROFIT GROUPS	ECO LINKS
KIDS LINKS	RENEWABLE ENERGY	GOVERNMENT/EDUCATION
VEGGIE RESTAURANTS	ECO AUDIO/VIDEO	EVENTS
COMMUNICATIONS	WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING	ACCOLADES
AWARDS	E-MAIL	MAILING LIST