sustainable tourism and ecotourism

Sustainable Tourism vs. Ecotourism: What's the Difference?

If you're starting to research more ways to become a more responsible traveler, you're bound to run across terms like "sustainable tourism,” "ecotourism," and "voluntourism,” sometimes even used interchangeably. But what do they all mean? In reality, ecotourism refers to the sector of low-impact tourism that includes natural areas, whereas sustainable tourism is a broader term describing sustainable practices within and performed by the tourism industry.

The environmental damages that can stem from irresponsible tourism have continued to come to light through complications from overtourism (when a destination or attraction suffers from overcrowding or an excess of tourists it isn’t designed to handle) and land degradation (when increased construction of tourism infrastructure negatively affects land resources and biodiversity). These terms are more than just travel industry buzzwords; sustainable travel is—hopefully—here to stay.

What Is Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable tourism encompasses all forms of tourism that consider the long-term economic, social, and environmental impacts of tourism while addressing the needs of visitors, the environment, host communities, and the tourism industry itself. According to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)—an organization that sets global standards for sustainable travel and tourism—sustainable tourism doesn’t refer to a specific type of tourism but is rather an aspiration for the impacts of all forms of tourism.

Specifically, "sustainable tourism takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities." This includes conservation efforts, preserving cultural heritage and traditional values, and providing equitably distributed socio-economic benefits.

Destinations and industries may practice sustainable tourism by prioritizing the natural environment when developing activities and infrastructure, respecting the cultural practices of host communities, and ensuring long-term economic operations to support the destination, to name a few.

Adopting a few sustainable practices into your travel routine isn’t just a win for the people, environments, and wildlife of your destination, it can often create more educational, meaningful, and authentic tourism experiences at the same time. Individual travelers can do things like buy locally made souvenirs, opt for public transportation instead of rental cars, buy an admission ticket to a protected conservation area (like a national park), or go low-impact camping to show their support for sustainable tourism.

What Is Ecotourism?

Sustainable tourism as a whole considers the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the travel industry, ecotourism tends to lean deeper into the environmental. The most cited definition of ecological tourism (or “ecotourism”) comes straight from the International Ecotourism Society (TIES), a nonprofit organization that’s been dedicated to promoting ecotourism since 1990. TIES 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.”

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), ecotourism refers to nature-based forms of tourism where the observation and appreciation of nature and traditional culture in natural areas is the main motivation behind traveling. Specifically, ecotourism has the following characteristics:

• Contains educational and interpretation features.
• Generally speaking, tours are organized by specialized, small-group tour operators.
• Destination partners are usually small, locally-owned businesses.
• Minimizes negative impacts on the natural and cultural environment.
• Supports the maintenance of areas used as ecotourism attractions.

This maintenance support is provided by the generation of income for communities, local organizations, and conservation management authorities as well as the availability of alternative employment opportunities and increased awareness of natural and culturally significant areas.

While ecotourism is just one of several different subsets of sustainable tourism, it tends to be the most widely recognized. Since it focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, ecotourism should be managed in such a way that helps contribute to the conservation and preservation of those very areas. It goes farther than wildlife, and focuses on both environmental and cultural understanding of the natural places visited. For this reason, there are some communities and even entire habitats that completely rely on ecotourism as a means for survival.

For example, Palau in the South Pacific requires all visitors to sign an eco pledge before entering the country saying that they will act in a way that is both ecologically and culturally responsible for the sake of future generations of Palauans. Tourists can also look out for Palau Pledge Certified businesses to support companies that have made a commitment to sustainability. In Africa, many governments have safeguarded national parks and natural reserves that generate revenue for the local communities while keeping some of the world’s most iconic wildlife and ecosystems protected from extinction. In turn, nature-based tourism creates countless jobs and contributes funds to help manage these protected areas.

Other Types of Sustainable Tourism

Although ecotourism is a popular niche segment of sustainable tourism in natural areas, it's not the only one. Other forms of sustainable tourism highlight different priorities such as volunteer work, small businesses, and unique local experiences.

Voluntourism

Voluntourism involves tourists who travel for the specific purpose of volunteering, such as teaching English in a foreign country, working with a wildlife rescue center, or offering medical services to underdeveloped areas. Voluntourists can travel internationally or domestically, typically for a charity or non profit, participating in voluntourism programs that positively impact local communities and benefits destinations long-term.

Soft Tourism

Soft tourism (as opposed to hard tourism) is characterized by small-scale, locally owned and operated businesses that employ local community members, respect the local way of life and local traditions, and allow tourists to experience the truly unique aspects of a destination.

Hard tourism conversely focuses on large-scale mass tourism development, which often leads to negative impacts on the environment or keeps money out of the local economies. Soft tourism typically values experiences over checking off the most popular tourist attractions, taking a class over traveling without gaining any in-depth knowledge about the destination, and spending more time in one spot over hitting a new city every couple of days.

Community Tourism

Community-based tourism puts a region's tourism industry into the hands of its local residents, and it is often sponsored by its governments or non profits with expertise in tourism development. Community members will manage homestays where tourists can get an authentic experience of local culture, become tour guides, or provide other tourism services themselves rather than sourcing out to multinational or commercialized companies. This type of tourism is important because economic benefits usually go straight towards local families and stay within the community.

Global Sustainable Tourism Council. " GSTC Sustainable Tourism Glossary: Definitions of Important Terms ." 2021.

The International Ecotourism Society. " What Is Ecotourism ." 2019.

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Ecotourism: Strategies for Sustainable Travel in 2024 and Beyond

Dr. Nick Becker, a pioneering sustainability expert and serial entrepreneur, seamlessly blends green technology and business acumen. With a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, he has co-founded groundbreaking startups and been featured on Forbes' "30 Under 30". His TEDx talk catalyzes tech-driven sustainability. Dr. Becker's passion for a greener future drives global change.

Introduction

Dr. Nick Becker is a visionary sustainability expert and seasoned serial entrepreneur, adept at harmonizing the realms of green technology and astute business acumen.

With a distinguished Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Dr. Becker has embarked on an extraordinary journey, co-founding trailblazing startups that are catalysts for transformation. His achievements have garnered industry recognition, earning him a coveted spot on Forbes' prestigious "30 Under 30" list.

A captivating orator, Dr. Becker's TEDx talk serves as a powerful catalyst, igniting a wave of tech-driven sustainability. His fervent commitment to ushering in a greener future has a profound impact on global change.

Ecotourism blends the excitement of exploring natural wonders with the responsibility of preserving them. This article aims to clearly understand how ecotourism can protect the environment, benefit local communities, and offer an enjoyable travel experience.

It delves into practical ecotourism strategies, explores their impact on destinations, and highlights the significance of making responsible travel choices.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Ecotourism aims to minimize ecological impact, promote sustainable development, and emphasize conservation, community support, and environmental education.
• Ecotourism’s success depends on balancing economic growth with environmental protection, creating sustainable employment opportunities for local communities, and conserving natural resources .
• Innovative ecotourism projects and community-based initiatives worldwide demonstrate successful models of sustainable tourism, highlighting the importance of responsible travel, local engagement, and international support from organizations.

Understanding Ecotourism: A Modern Approach to Travel

Ecotourism is not just a passing trend in the travel industry but a responsible form of tourism that promotes conservation efforts that benefit local communities and educate people about preserving the environment and cultural heritage.

It establishes a vital connection between the desire to explore nature and the urgent need to protect it. By emphasizing sustainable development and reducing environmental impact, this deliberate approach to travel has set itself apart from other forms of tourism.

Watch this video by Dr. Hayley Stainton to learn more:

Ecotourism, endorsed by organizations such as The International Ecotourism Society and The World Tourism Organization, is a concept that emphasizes eco-friendly exploration .

It involves a commitment by travelers to reduce their ecological footprint while actively participating in activities designed to increase awareness of environmental protection and cultural values.

Destinations that cater specifically to ecotourists offer opportunities to experience the Earth’s magnificent natural beauty while also promoting responsible maintenance practices.

From unspoiled regions like those found in Amazonia to breathtaking vistas like those offered by the Himalayan peaks, ecotourism destinations provide a sanctuary where travelers can appreciate the planet’s splendor while also helping to preserve it.

The Core of Ecotourism: Conservation, Community, and Education

Ecotourism is based on three fundamental principles: preserving natural resources, supporting local communities, and educating people about ecological matters.

The main objective of conservation efforts is to protect the natural environments within national parks and other natural areas so that they can be enjoyed by future generations.

Ecotourism plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance necessary for the health and well-being of our planet.

Sustainable tourism is the foundation of ecotourism as it acknowledges the crucial role played by local communities. It respects their cultural heritage and provides opportunities for their development by adopting practices that promote their environment’s sustainability and improve their quality of life.

Every genuine ecotourism experience involves an educational component that fosters environmental consciousness among tourists. This deepens their appreciation for nature beyond simply what they see or do at various destinations.

Eco-Friendly Practices in Action

Eco-tourism involves a range of environmentally friendly practices, which include:

• Opting for sustainable modes of transportation, such as electric vehicles or rail systems.
• Participating in eco-tourism activities that aim to have minimal impact on the environment.
• Traveling slowly , consciously choosing destinations to connect with instead of rushing through many cities.
• Choosing accommodations that utilize renewable energy sources, have efficient waste management systems in place, and offer locally sourced food options.

These strategies are more than words; they are actively implemented to support conservation efforts essential to preserving the natural landscapes we cherish. These measures help ensure that our accommodations have a minimal ecological impact and are in harmony with the surrounding environment.

Ecotourism involves activities that connect visitors with nature while promoting responsible traveling habits. These activities could include trekking through wilderness areas, observing local wildlife species, or exploring marine environments.

Additionally, ecotourism initiatives typically integrate indigenous culture and history, providing educational experiences for visitors. To maintain a balance between economic gains for local communities and environmental preservation, ecotourism sites carefully regulate tourist numbers and promote off-season visits.

The Impact of Ecotourism on Local Economies

Ecotourism not only helps with environmental conservation but also provides economic benefits to local communities. By creating job opportunities such as positions for park rangers and cultural performers, ecotourism brings a steady flow of revenue into the economies of these areas, often transforming them into hubs of economic development.

In countries like Costa Rica, nature-based tourism has a significant impact on the national GDP, demonstrating how eco-friendly travel can coexist with generating economic opportunities and preserving natural habitats.

When travelers choose to spend their money on locally sourced goods and cuisine, they play a vital role in reducing ecological footprints while also promoting community prosperity.

The support given to local communities grows when tourists explore off-the-beaten-path adventures or participate in grassroots tourist initiatives that are supported by the residents.

Such initiatives have a positive financial impact on local communities, ensuring that their attractiveness as ecotourism destinations brings real progress and benefits to those who live there.

Balancing Economic Benefits with Environmental Protection

Genuine sustainable development in ecotourism requires a delicate balance between generating economic benefits and preserving nature. This balance involves supporting local businesses by ensuring fair wages and working conditions, investing in community infrastructure, and preserving cultural heritage.

These measures not only benefit conservation efforts but also help to boost the local economy and improve the well-being of those who reside in ecotourism destinations.

Choosing tour operators that hire local guides and provide authentic experiences – such as homestays with local families – can help boost the economic growth of the community while preserving the cultural integrity of the destination.

For instance, Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee is an excellent example of a direct financial contribution that combines environmental protection with economic benefits, ensuring that the experiences of travelers benefit both conservation efforts and the local people in equal measure.

Global Leaders in Ecotourism

There are a few nations that have become leaders in ecotourism by implementing standards for wildlife protection and sustainable tourism practices. These countries, such as Costa Rica, Chile, and Norway, have shown a strong commitment to these principles and have integrated them into their national identity.

They not only conserve their environment but also prioritize the well-being of their people. For travelers seeking genuine and responsible experiences, these countries have become top destinations for ecotourism.

Iceland and the Galapagos Islands are known as the best examples of ecotourism, with Iceland’s unspoiled landscapes and the Galapagos Islands’ unparalleled biodiversity attracting visitors from around the world.

The success stories of these destinations, as well as Chile’s Huilo Huilo and Chiloé Island, demonstrate the importance of balancing economic benefits with environmental conservation. These places are ideal destinations for anyone looking to explore nature while also supporting conservation efforts.

Case Study: Costa Rica’s Transformation

Costa Rica is a great example of how environmental preservation and sustainable development can go hand-in-hand. The Osa Peninsula, known for its diverse wildlife, including jaguars and macaws, is at the heart of this transition toward sustainable ecotourism.

Visitors can stay in eco-conscious accommodations and experience the beauty of the natural surroundings. This not only attracts millions of visitors each year but also highlights Costa Rica’s dedication to living in harmony with the environment.

Source: Lonely Planet

Costa Rica has effectively increased its forest coverage, which is a testament to its successful strategies for environmental conservation. The country’s strong commitment to sustainable ecotourism is a significant part of its national identity and positions it as a leader in offering ecological tourism opportunities.

This success serves as proof that tourism models focused on nature conservation are feasible and have substantial advantages.

Galapagos Islands: A Unique Ecosystem Under Careful Management

The Galapagos Islands were the first-ever UNESCO World Heritage Site and are home to a unique ecosystem that is carefully protected. These islands played a key role in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and are safeguarded by Ecuadorian law to preserve their distinct wildlife and habitats.

To maintain their pristine condition, the islands have several regulations in place, including zoning laws, limited visitor numbers, and specific routes for tourism vessels. Tour operators in the Galapagos Islands must prioritize eco-friendly practices, not as an option but as a necessity.

This includes strategies to conserve water and energy, recycling programs, and providing fair wages and training opportunities for local staff.  Tourists are required to pay a conservation fee, which, along with government support, helps fund environmental preservation projects that protect the unique native species of the islands, such as giant tortoises and marine iguanas.

Challenges and Controversies in Ecotourism

Although ecotourism aims to promote sustainable travel and conservation, it has its own set of problems and controversies. The increasing popularity of this form of tourism may unintentionally cause the destruction of forests, the decline in habitat quality, and subtle behavioral changes among wildlife, which can degrade soil health and vegetation.

Such disturbances can force animals out of their habitats and disrupt complex natural systems, throwing them off balance. Local communities also face several adverse effects from ecotourism, including:

• Outsiders often benefit financially at the expense of locals, leading to economic sidelining and erosion of cultural heritage within these communities.
• An increase in human activity within wild areas poses health risks and escalates the chances for conflicts between humans and animals.
• Pollution entering delicate ecosystems is a serious threat that needs to be considered.
• Trading souvenirs derived from wildlife perpetuates harm on already vulnerable environmental zones.

Preventing the Pitfalls of Ecotourism

To ensure ecotourism is sustainable, it is crucial to follow a comprehensive approach that includes certification programs, community engagement, and enforcement measures. For ecotourism to be truly sustainable in terms of cultural and social aspects, it must respect local customs and people.

This can be achieved by ensuring that they are well-informed and actively involved as key players. Tour operators should focus on protecting at-risk communities while also providing equitable employment opportunities to the local populace to ensure their operations provide substantial benefits.

Tourists also have a significant role to play, especially in voluntourism. It is important that they ensure these initiatives ethically manage their affairs to protect children and other vulnerable groups from harm. In addition, reducing travel’s environmental footprint is a critical consideration.

Travelers are urged to follow basic  sustainable travel tips  and select fewer flights or direct journeys whenever possible in an effort to minimize carbon emissions and reflect responsible travel ethics.

Participating in Ecotourism: How You Can Make a Difference

As conscious travelers, we have the power to create a positive impact by choosing destinations and activities that align with ecotourism values. By staying at eco-friendly accommodations, using sustainable modes of transportation, and reducing our waste, we can help protect the environment while enjoying our travels. 

Making donations to local environmental organizations or actively participating in conservation initiatives can also enrich our travel experiences.

By engaging thoughtfully with each place we visit, we can enjoy fulfilling journeys that align with ecotourism principles while contributing to the protection of our planet’s natural beauty and biodiversity for generations to come.

Selecting Responsible Tour Operators

When choosing to travel, opting for tour operators who prioritize sustainable tourism practices is crucial to ensure that our explorations are aligned with ethical and environmental standards.

A responsible tour operator will be transparent about their sustainability efforts and initiatives, such as the ones supported by Royal Galapagos, which includes reducing plastic consumption and supporting conservation projects.

They will also be committed to minimizing their ecological footprint through responsible practices, including carbon offset programs.

In addition, they will prioritize positively impacting the local environment and its inhabitants. A tour operator that values wildlife preservation will prioritize promoting the observation of animals in their natural habitats without direct interaction.

Opting for companies that prioritize these values not only helps protect ecotourism destinations but also supports environmental consciousness and protective measures for nature.

Volunteering and Supporting Local Initiatives

Participating in local initiatives as a volunteer can make travel experiences more exciting while promoting community and environmental health. Engaging with communities in this way has a positive influence on those involved and creates unforgettable moments.

Travelers who volunteer their time gain deep immersion into local traditions, which helps with personal growth and a better understanding of global challenges.

Contributing through international volunteer work equips participants with essential life skills such as flexibility, communication abilities, and cooperative working proficiency.

Successful collaborations, like the one between the Royal Galapagos and the Galapagos Conservation Trust, demonstrate that volunteering contributes to funding conservation efforts.

These partnerships support sustainable progress in development projects that benefit both nature preservation efforts and elevate living standards for inhabitants within these communities.

Innovative Ecotourism Projects Around the World

The ecotourism industry has brought about innovative projects that are transforming the landscape of sustainable travel.

These pioneering initiatives offer a glimpse into the different ways ecotourism can be manifested, from special charter expeditions in the Galapagos Islands that focus on conservation and education to Slovenia’s green labeling system for accommodations and tourism services.

By collaborating with conservation groups or NGOs, ecotourism projects gain legitimacy and sustainability, ensuring that they create not only unique travel experiences but also contribute positively to the environment and local communities.

One such initiative is the partnership between Steppes Travel and the Galapagos Conservation Trust. Travelers aboard the Natural Paradise yacht can contribute directly to the preservation of the ecosystem while engaging with local conservation projects and experts.

These innovative ecotourism projects are essential in promoting sustainable tourism, as they provide models of how tourism can coexist with and even benefit conservation efforts. They set an example for ecotourism destinations worldwide.

Wildlife Sanctuaries and Their Role in Conservation

Serving as beacons for preservation, wildlife sanctuaries safeguard natural ecosystems and the species within them while enabling environmentally considerate wildlife encounters. Locations such as:

• Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve
• Borneo’s Rainforest provides opportunities for tourists to witness animals in their own environments while bolstering conservation work through eco-tourism pursuits. Sanctuaries include:
• Yellowstone National Park in the USA
• Raja Ampat in Indonesia demonstrates how ecotourism can aid in preserving various species and afford visitors remarkable experiences.

Source: Brittanica

In remote locations such as Antarctica or Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, tourism is strictly regulated to minimize the environmental impact and maximize the funds directed towards conservation efforts.

In destinations like Madagascar and Svalbard, Norway, eco-friendly accommodations allow visitors to have close encounters with local wildlife and contribute to the economic stability of the area.

These protected areas are crucial for preserving biodiversity by providing responsible ways to experience nature, which educates travelers on the importance of conserving our natural habitats.

Community-Based Ecotourism Success Stories

Narratives from successful community-driven ecotourism initiatives highlight the benefits in terms of economic growth, heritage conservation, and environmental protection. The following are some examples:

• In Lorestan province, Iran, local communities have collaborated with researchers and policymakers to create a model for sustainable tourism. This collaboration has resulted in an enhancement of local capacity and improvements such as available rental accommodations and establishments along roads.
• Kichwa Ecolodge in Ecuador is another noteworthy example where active participation by the local community ensures they both oversee and profit from the lodge, including its adjacent natural resources.
• Auroville in India represents another distinct example dedicated to advancing eco-friendly lifestyles while preserving culture and nature.
• Efforts undertaken within Chilean locales and Indonesia’s Gunung Leuser National Park also exemplify how communal involvement can effectively manage cultural heritage sites and natural areas.

These instances highlight the importance of engaging locals when aiming for ecotourism achievements. Adhering to the principles set out by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards ensures these ventures contribute positively towards socioeconomic stability, ongoing cultural vitality, and environmental integrity.

By championing development tied with empowerment among their ranks, the outcomes highlight transformations wherein indigenous populations, together with other residents, can utilize their own unique cultural elements coupled with naturally occurring spaces to foster leading destinations focused on ecology.

These destinations simultaneously yield financial gains without compromising their ancestral legacy or ecosystems.

The Role of International Organizations in Promoting Ecotourism

International organizations, particularly the United Nations World Tourism Organization, play a crucial role in promoting ecotourism around the world by taking actions such as:

• Developing tourism-related policies
• Implementing standards similar to Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)
• Guiding countries and businesses towards adopting sustainable practices and standards
• Supporting the creation of destinations dedicated to ecotourism
• Integrating conservation principles into broader global tourism agendas
•  Sharing successful approaches with the global ecotourism community

Their role is essential in encouraging and maintaining eco-friendly tourism practices worldwide.

Similarly, Ecotourism Kenya plays a significant role in advocating for eco-responsible travel behaviors that can be replicated in various areas.

Through its efforts to provide guidance, support initiatives, and accredit ecological tourism ventures, Ecotourism Kenya promotes environmental preservation while improving the quality of life of local communities. This enhances the regional significance and global impact of ecological tourism benefits.

As we watch the sunset on our ecotourism exploration, we are reminded of the tremendous impact that sustainable travel can have on our planet and its inhabitants.

Ecotourism offers a way for us to be more conscious and responsible as we experience the world. We can become stewards of the Earth’s future by preserving natural habitats and wildlife, empowering local communities economically, and educating travelers.

Let this journey through ecotourism’s principles, practices, and possibilities inspire you to consider how your travel choices can contribute to the greater good. Each trip can be a step toward a more sustainable and equitable world with the right approach.

Tourism can be a force for positive change, and we can cherish and preserve the beauty and diversity of our planet for generations to come.

References and Useful Resources

• https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/
• https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-to-know-about-ecotourism
• https://www.unwto.org/tourism-statistics/measuring-sustainability-tourism
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ecotourism good or bad.

Participating in ecotourism is advantageous as it helps to reduce waste and pollution, promotes the sustainable use of natural resources, and aids in protecting ecosystems from further harm. It supports conservation efforts by minimizing energy consumption, utilizing renewable energies like solar power, and avoiding disposable plastics.

What is the main purpose of ecotourism?

Ecotourism aims to protect the environment while supporting local communities and preserving their culture.

What is ecotourism an example of?

Ecotourism is a form of sustainable travel that focuses on visiting natural areas to appreciate wildlife and support conservation efforts. The aim of this approach is to reduce environmental footprints and create positive impacts on both the environment and local communities. This stands in contrast to the broader impact of mass tourism.

What is the meaning of ecotourism?

Ecotourism, as defined by the International Ecotourism Society, is a form of travel that preserves natural areas while also promoting the well-being of local communities. The goal of ecotourism is to educate visitors about the environment and encourage sustainable practices that protect it. It also involves providing support for local communities. Essentially, ecotourism is a responsible and sustainable form of travel that benefits both the environment and the people who live in it.

What exactly defines ecotourism?

Ecotourism, which involves responsible travel to natural areas, is focused on supporting conservation efforts and benefiting local communities. This type of tourism aims to promote education about the preservation of nature and cultural appreciation. The goal is to have a positive impact on both the environment and the residents in the area.

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What Is The Difference Between Ecotourism And Sustainable Tourism?

Published: November 14, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Dorelle Landers

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Introduction

As our world becomes more aware of the environmental impact of various industries, the tourism sector is no exception. In recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of ecotourism and sustainable tourism as travelers look for ways to explore the world while minimizing their impact on the environment and supporting local communities.

Both ecotourism and sustainable tourism share the common goal of promoting responsible travel practices, but they have distinct differences in their approaches and principles. Understanding these differences can help travelers make informed choices and contribute to a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry.

In this article, we will explore the definitions of ecotourism and sustainable tourism, discuss their key principles, compare the two concepts, and examine the benefits and challenges associated with each.

So, let’s dive into the world of ecotourism and sustainable tourism, and discover how we can travel in a way that is both fulfilling and gentle on the planet.

Definition of Ecotourism

Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a type of tourism that focuses on visiting natural and undisturbed areas while minimizing the impact on the environment and promoting conservation efforts. It encompasses responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and often remote destinations, with an emphasis on educating travelers about the environment and local cultures.

Ecotourism aims to provide unique experiences that are in harmony with nature, fostering an appreciation for the natural world and the need for its protection. It promotes sustainable practices by supporting local communities, conserving biodiversity, and preserving the cultural integrity of the destinations.

There are several key principles that define ecotourism:

• Nature Conservation: Ecotourism places a strong emphasis on conserving and protecting natural habitats, ecosystems, and wildlife. It seeks to minimize negative impacts, such as habitat destruction, pollution, and disturbance to wildlife populations.
• Educational Component: Ecotourism aims to educate visitors about the environment, local cultures, and the importance of conservation. It provides opportunities for guided tours, nature walks, and informative activities that promote an understanding of the natural and cultural value of the destination.
• Community Involvement: Ecotourism strives to involve and empower local communities in decision-making processes, as well as benefitting economically from sustainable tourism practices. It promotes fair wages, local employment, and the development of community-based tourism initiatives that preserve cultural heritage.
• Sustainable Practices: Ecotourism seeks to minimize its environmental footprint by adopting sustainable practices such as waste management, energy conservation, and responsible water usage. It encourages the use of locally sourced and organic products, as well as minimizing the use of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials.
• Responsible Tourism: Ecotourism promotes responsible travel behavior, including respecting local customs, traditions, and the environment. Travelers are encouraged to minimize waste, reduce their carbon footprint, and support local businesses and artisans.

Overall, ecotourism offers a way for travelers to connect with nature, learn about different cultures, and contribute to the preservation of our planet’s precious resources. It offers a sustainable alternative to conventional tourism and helps foster a greater appreciation for the natural world.

Definition of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism is a concept that aims to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, economy, and local communities, while maximizing the benefits for all stakeholders involved. It involves the development and operation of tourism activities that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable in the long term.

At its core, sustainable tourism seeks to achieve a balance between meeting the needs of visitors and preserving the natural and cultural assets of a destination for future generations. It takes into consideration the interconnectedness between environmental, social, and economic factors, promoting sustainable development and fostering a positive relationship between tourism and the host community.

The key principles of sustainable tourism include:

• Environmental Protection: Sustainable tourism places a strong emphasis on protecting the natural environment and conserving biodiversity. It seeks to minimize pollution, reduce waste, and manage natural resources responsibly, ensuring the long-term sustainability of ecosystems and the well-being of wildlife.
• Social and Cultural Respect: Sustainable tourism respects and promotes the cultural authenticity and heritage of host communities. It encourages meaningful interactions between visitors and locals while fostering mutual respect and understanding. It also supports the preservation of cultural traditions and practices.
• Economic Benefits: Sustainable tourism aims to contribute to the local economy by generating income and employment opportunities for the host community. It encourages the development of sustainable businesses and sources of income, ensuring the equitable distribution of tourism-related benefits.
• Community Involvement: Sustainable tourism actively involves and engages local communities in decision-making processes, seeking their participation in tourism planning and development. It recognizes and respects their rights, traditions, and knowledge, empowering them to take ownership of tourism initiatives.
• Visitor Education and Awareness: Sustainable tourism promotes visitor education and awareness, encouraging travelers to understand and appreciate the environmental, social, and cultural impacts of their actions. It seeks to foster responsible travel behavior and promote sustainable practices among visitors.

Sustainable tourism strives to create a positive and lasting impact on the destination by balancing the needs of the environment, local communities, and visitors. It acknowledges the importance of preserving natural and cultural heritage, while ensuring the economic development and well-being of the communities involved.

By practicing sustainable tourism, travelers have the opportunity to explore new places, support local economies, and make a positive difference in preserving our planet’s natural wonders for future generations.

Key Principles of Ecotourism

Ecotourism follows a set of key principles that guide its practices and differentiate it from other forms of tourism. These principles not only ensure the sustainability and conservation of natural resources and cultural heritage but also aim to provide meaningful and enriching experiences for travelers. Let’s explore the key principles of ecotourism:

• Nature Conservation: Ecotourism places a high priority on conserving and protecting the natural environment. It seeks to minimize negative impacts, such as habitat destruction and pollution, and focuses on preserving biodiversity and ecosystems. Ecotourism operators collaborate with local communities and conservation organizations to implement sustainable practices.
• Educational Component: Ecotourism aims to educate visitors about the environment, ecology, and local cultures. It provides opportunities for guided nature walks, interactive experiences, and informative programs to create awareness and understanding of the natural and cultural value of the destination. By promoting education, ecotourism encourages visitors to become stewards of the environment.
• Community Involvement: Ecotourism actively involves and benefits local communities. It seeks to empower them by providing economic opportunities through employment, fair wages, and community-based tourism initiatives. Local communities also play a vital role in decision-making processes, allowing them to have a say in the development and management of ecotourism activities.
• Sustainable Practices: Ecotourism promotes sustainable practices to minimize its environmental impact. This includes proper waste management, energy conservation, responsible water usage, and the use of environmentally friendly products. Ecotourism operators often strive to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt eco-friendly transportation options to mitigate their impact on the environment.
• Responsible Tourism: Ecotourism promotes responsible travel behavior among visitors. This includes respecting local customs and traditions, following designated trails and paths to avoid disturbing flora and fauna, and supporting local businesses and artisans. Travelers are encouraged to minimize waste, reduce their use of single-use plastics, and leave a positive impact on the communities they visit.

By adhering to these key principles, ecotourism provides travelers with an opportunity to connect with nature, learn about different cultures, and contribute to the conservation of our planet’s natural resources. It offers a sustainable and responsible way of traveling that not only benefits the environment but also supports the socio-economic well-being of local communities.

Key Principles of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism is guided by several key principles that shape its practices and distinguish it from conventional tourism. These principles promote the conservation of the environment, support local communities, and ensure long-term socio-economic benefits. Let’s explore the key principles of sustainable tourism:

• Environmental Protection: Sustainable tourism prioritizes the preservation of the natural environment and seeks to minimize its impact. It promotes sustainable resource management, waste reduction and recycling, and the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. Sustainable tourism operators operate in an environmentally responsible manner to protect the destinations they serve.
• Social and Cultural Respect: Sustainable tourism respects and celebrates the cultural authenticity and heritage of host communities. It values the diversity of cultures and traditions and seeks to promote local customs, arts, and handicrafts. Sustainable tourism encourages positive interactions between visitors and locals, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
• Economic Benefits: Sustainable tourism aims to maximize economic benefits for local communities by creating employment opportunities and supporting local businesses. It encourages fair wages, responsible purchasing practices, and the equitable distribution of tourism-generated income. Sustainable tourism strives to contribute to the socio-economic development of host destinations.
• Community Involvement: Sustainable tourism actively involves and empowers local communities in decision-making processes and tourism planning. It values the input and perspectives of community members, allowing them to shape the development and management of tourism initiatives. Sustainable tourism initiatives also seek to enhance the well-being and empowerment of host communities.
• Visitor Education and Awareness: Sustainable tourism promotes visitor education and awareness about the environmental, social, and cultural impacts of tourism. It encourages travelers to learn about the destinations they visit, respect local customs, and adopt responsible travel behavior. By raising awareness among visitors, sustainable tourism aims to foster positive changes in travel habits.

By adhering to these key principles, sustainable tourism aims to create a positive and lasting impact on the environment, local communities, and travelers. It seeks to strike a balance between the economic benefits of tourism and the long-term preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Through sustainable tourism, travelers have the opportunity to support local communities, protect the environment, and foster cultural preservation. By embracing sustainable practices and conscious decision-making, we can ensure that tourism benefits both the present and future generations.

Comparison between Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism

While ecotourism and sustainable tourism share common goals of promoting responsible travel practices and minimizing the negative impacts of tourism, there are distinct differences between the two concepts. Let’s compare ecotourism and sustainable tourism to understand their unique characteristics:

Focus: Ecotourism primarily focuses on visiting natural and undisturbed areas, with an emphasis on conservation efforts and education about the environment. Sustainable tourism, on the other hand, has a broader scope and considers the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic aspects of tourism.

Principles: Ecotourism emphasizes nature conservation, educational experiences, community involvement, sustainable practices, and responsible tourism. Sustainable tourism shares similar principles but also highlights the importance of environmental protection, cultural respect, economic benefits for communities, and visitor education and awareness.

Target Destinations: Ecotourism typically involves traveling to remote, natural areas such as national parks, wildlife reserves, and eco-lodges. Sustainable tourism can encompass a wider range of destinations, including cities, cultural sites, and natural areas, as long as sustainable practices are promoted.

Educational Component: Ecotourism places a strong emphasis on providing educational experiences to visitors, aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of the environment and local cultures. While sustainable tourism also values education, it may have a broader focus on raising awareness about various sustainability issues beyond the natural environment.

Community Involvement: Both ecotourism and sustainable tourism prioritize community involvement and empowerment. However, ecotourism specifically focuses on engaging local communities in decision-making processes and economic benefits derived from tourism activities. Sustainable tourism also emphasizes these aspects but may have a broader approach to community involvement beyond the specific context of ecotourism.

Scope of Sustainability: Ecotourism heavily emphasizes environmental sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. Sustainable tourism, while also valuing environmental sustainability, takes a more holistic approach by considering social and economic factors as well.

Overall Goals: The main goal of ecotourism is to promote responsible travel practices that conserve nature, educate visitors, support local communities, and minimize environmental impacts. Sustainable tourism, on the other hand, seeks to achieve sustainability in the tourism industry by balancing environmental responsibility, social and cultural respect, and economic benefits for all stakeholders.

It’s important to note that ecotourism can be seen as a subset of sustainable tourism, as it focuses specifically on nature-based experiences and conservation efforts. Both concepts have their unique strengths and approaches, but they ultimately share the common goal of promoting responsible and sustainable travel practices.

Benefits of Ecotourism

Ecotourism offers a range of tangible and intangible benefits for travelers, local communities, and the environment. Let’s explore some of the key benefits of ecotourism:

Conservation and Biodiversity: Ecotourism plays a vital role in conserving natural habitats and protecting biodiversity. By visiting ecologically sensitive areas, travelers contribute to the preservation of fragile ecosystems and support conservation efforts. Ecotourism also raises awareness about the value of biodiversity, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the natural world.

Educational Experiences: Ecotourism provides educational opportunities for travelers, offering a deeper understanding of environmental issues, local cultures, and conservation efforts. Travelers can learn about sustainable practices, the significance of ecosystems, and the challenges faced by local communities. Such educational experiences foster a greater appreciation for the environment and inspire individuals to be more environmentally conscious.

Support for Local Communities: Ecotourism generates economic benefits for local communities, creating employment opportunities and improving livelihoods. By engaging local people as guides, hosts, and suppliers, ecotourism supports the local economy and empowers communities. This economic boost helps to preserve cultural heritage and traditional practices, while also reducing the dependence on environmentally harmful activities.

Cultural Preservation: Ecotourism celebrates and preserves local cultures and traditions. Travelers have the opportunity to engage with indigenous communities, learn about their customs, and appreciate their unique way of life. By promoting cultural exchange and respecting local customs, ecotourism helps to safeguard and revitalize cultural heritage.

Environmental Stewardship: Ecotourism fosters a sense of environmental stewardship among travelers. By promoting sustainable practices, such as responsible waste management, energy conservation, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives, ecotourism encourages visitors to reduce their ecological footprint. This increased awareness and commitment to sustainability can have a positive ripple effect in other aspects of travelers’ lives.

Alternative Income Streams: Ecotourism provides communities with alternative income streams that are more sustainable and less damaging to the environment. This economic diversification helps reduce reliance on activities that may be harmful, such as deforestation or unsustainable agriculture. By offering viable economic alternatives, ecotourism provides incentives for communities to protect natural resources and foster long-term sustainability.

Overall, ecotourism has the potential to create a win-win situation where travelers have unique and meaningful experiences, local communities benefit from economic opportunities, and the environment thrives through conservation efforts. By choosing ecotourism, travelers can contribute to positive change and make a difference in the places they visit.

Benefits of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism offers numerous benefits for travelers, local communities, and the environment. By adopting sustainable practices and promoting responsible travel, sustainable tourism contributes to a more balanced and equitable tourism industry. Let’s explore some of the key benefits of sustainable tourism:

Environmental Conservation: Sustainable tourism prioritizes the protection and preservation of the natural environment. By implementing sustainable practices, such as responsible waste management, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction, sustainable tourism reduces the negative impact on ecosystems. This conservation effort helps preserve biodiversity, protect fragile habitats, and mitigate climate change.

Socioeconomic Development: Sustainable tourism contributes to the socioeconomic development of local communities. By supporting local businesses, artisans, and service providers, sustainable tourism boosts the local economy and creates employment opportunities. This economic empowerment helps alleviate poverty, improve infrastructure, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the destination.

Cultural Preservation: Sustainable tourism respects and promotes the preservation of cultural heritage. It provides opportunities for travelers to engage with local communities, learn about their traditions, and support cultural preservation initiatives. By valuing and showcasing local customs, arts, and handicrafts, sustainable tourism helps sustain cultural identities and traditions that might otherwise be at risk of disappearing.

Community Empowerment: Sustainable tourism actively involves local communities in decision-making processes and encourages their participation in tourism development. By giving communities a voice and involving them in the planning and management of tourism activities, sustainable tourism empowers locals and fosters a sense of ownership. This involvement helps ensure that tourism benefits are distributed more equitably within the community.

Positive Travel Experience: Sustainable tourism provides travelers with unique and authentic experiences. By engaging with local cultures, traditions, and natural landscapes, travelers gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the destinations they visit. Sustainable tourism promotes meaningful interactions between travelers and locals, resulting in more enriching and immersive travel experiences.

Long-Term Industry Viability: By prioritizing sustainability in its practices, sustainable tourism contributes to the long-term viability of the tourism industry. It helps protect destinations from the negative impacts of mass tourism, such as overdevelopment and resource depletion. Sustainable tourism ensures that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and cultural significance of these destinations.

In summary, sustainable tourism offers a wide range of benefits that go beyond the individual traveler’s experience. It helps protect the environment, supports local communities, preserves cultural heritage, and ensures the long-term sustainability of the tourism industry. By choosing sustainable tourism options, travelers actively contribute to positive change and make a lasting impact on the destinations they visit.

Challenges of Ecotourism

While ecotourism offers numerous benefits, it also faces several challenges that need to be addressed for its successful implementation. Understanding these challenges is important to ensure that ecotourism practices are sustainable and effective. Let’s examine some of the key challenges of ecotourism:

Degree of Impact: Ecotourism, despite its focus on sustainability, can still have negative environmental impacts. The increase in visitor numbers, particularly in sensitive areas, can lead to habitat degradation, soil erosion, and disturbance to wildlife. Balancing the need to promote ecotourism while minimizing ecological impact requires careful planning and management.

Visitor Awareness and Behavior: An essential challenge in ecotourism is promoting responsible visitor behavior. Some travelers may not fully understand the impact of their actions, leading to unsustainable practices such as littering, wildlife harassment, or damage to natural habitats. Educating and raising awareness among visitors about the importance of conservation and responsible travel is crucial to mitigate these challenges.

Infrastructure and Resource Management: Developing appropriate infrastructure is often a challenge in ecotourism destinations. Ensuring sustainable and low-impact infrastructure, including accommodations, transportation, and waste management facilities, can be complex and require significant investment. Efficient resource management, such as water and energy conservation, is also essential to minimize the ecological footprint of ecotourism operations.

Community Involvement and Benefit Sharing: Genuine community engagement is essential for the success of ecotourism. However, it can be challenging to ensure that local communities are adequately involved in decision-making processes and benefit economically from tourism activities. Balancing the needs and aspirations of communities with the preservation of the natural environment requires effective partnerships and collaboration.

Financial Viability: Establishing and maintaining financially viable ecotourism initiatives can be challenging, especially in remote areas with limited infrastructure and visitor access. The costs of implementing ecotourism practices, such as staff training, conservation efforts, and sustainable infrastructure, can often be higher than in traditional tourism. Securing funding and developing sustainable business models to support ongoing operations is a constant challenge for ecotourism stakeholders.

Greenwashing and Authenticity: The rise in popularity of ecotourism has led to concerns about greenwashing – the practice of falsely promoting activities or destinations as environmentally friendly. Ensuring the authenticity and credibility of ecotourism initiatives is crucial for building trust with travelers. Clear guidelines, certifications, and accountability mechanisms can help address these concerns and support genuine ecotourism practices.

Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration between stakeholders, including governments, local communities, tourism operators, and travelers. By addressing these challenges, we can ensure that ecotourism remains a sustainable and effective approach to tourism that contributes to environmental conservation, community development, and responsible travel.

Challenges of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourism faces several challenges that need to be addressed to ensure its successful implementation and long-term viability. Overcoming these challenges is crucial to ensure that sustainable tourism remains effective in minimizing negative impacts and maximizing positive outcomes. Let’s explore some of the key challenges of sustainable tourism:

Balancing Environmental, Social, and Economic Priorities: One of the main challenges of sustainable tourism is finding a balance between environmental protection, social and cultural integrity, and economic benefits. Striking this balance requires careful planning and collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that all aspects of sustainability are adequately addressed.

Overcrowding and Overtourism: Some popular tourist destinations face challenges related to overcrowding and overtourism, which can result in the degradation of natural and cultural sites. Managing visitor numbers, distributing tourism flows, and implementing sustainable tourism practices are crucial to avoid the negative impacts associated with overcrowding and maintain the integrity of these destinations.

Sustainable Infrastructure and Resource Management: Developing and maintaining sustainable infrastructure, such as energy-efficient accommodations, waste management systems, and sustainable transportation, can be a challenge. Implementing innovative solutions and integrating sustainable practices into tourism infrastructure require investment, cooperation among stakeholders, and a long-term vision.

Education and Awareness: Promoting and ensuring visitor education and awareness about sustainable tourism practices is essential. Some travelers may not be fully aware of the impact of their actions or the importance of responsible travel behavior. Raising awareness through educational campaigns, information materials, and visitor engagement is crucial to change behavior and encourage sustainable travel practices.

Community Engagement and Empowerment: Involving local communities in decision-making processes, benefit sharing, and capacity building is vital for sustainable tourism. Establishing effective partnerships and empowering communities to actively participate in tourism planning and development can be challenging. Ensuring that local communities are key stakeholders and beneficiaries of sustainable tourism initiatives is crucial for their long-term success.

Funding and Financial Viability: Financial sustainability can be a significant challenge for sustainable tourism initiatives, especially in destinations with limited resources and infrastructure. Funding, investment, and revenue generation mechanisms need to be established to support the ongoing implementation of sustainable practices and ensure the economic viability of sustainable tourism initiatives.

Measuring and Monitoring Sustainability: Measuring and monitoring the sustainability performance of tourism activities and destinations is essential but can be challenging. Developing effective indicators, data collection methods, and monitoring frameworks is necessary to assess progress and identify areas for improvement in terms of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts from governments, tourism operators, local communities, and travelers. By overcoming these challenges, sustainable tourism can continue to evolve as a responsible and effective approach, contributing to the conservation of natural resources, cultural preservation, and the socioeconomic development of host communities.

Ecotourism and sustainable tourism offer valuable approaches to travel that prioritize responsible practices, environmental conservation, and community engagement. While ecotourism focuses on visiting natural areas and promoting conservation efforts, sustainable tourism takes a broader perspective by considering the environmental, social, and economic aspects of tourism.

Both concepts share common principles such as nature conservation, education, community involvement, sustainable practices, and responsible tourism behavior. They offer numerous benefits, including the preservation of biodiversity, cultural heritage, and the socioeconomic development of local communities.

However, these approaches also face challenges. Ecotourism’s challenges include managing the impact on fragile ecosystems, promoting responsible visitor behavior, and ensuring community involvement and benefit sharing. Sustainable tourism, on the other hand, encounters challenges in balancing priorities, managing overcrowding, and developing sustainable infrastructure.

Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts among all stakeholders involved in the tourism industry. Governments, tourism operators, local communities, and travelers need to work together to develop sustainable practices, educate visitors, empower local communities, and ensure the protection of natural and cultural resources.

By choosing ecotourism and sustainable tourism options, travelers can make a positive difference and contribute to the preservation of our planet’s natural wonders, the support of local communities, and the promotion of responsible travel practices. These approaches offer opportunities for meaningful experiences, educational moments, and a deeper connection to the environment and cultures.

In conclusion, ecotourism and sustainable tourism provide pathways for travelers to explore the world while minimizing their impact and leaving a positive footprint. Embracing these approaches can lead to transformative travel experiences and contribute to a more sustainable and responsible tourism industry.

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Revision of the gstc accreditation manual for certification of hotel/accommodation & tour operator v.4.0, gstc criteria, the global sustainability standards in travel and tourism, gstc2024 global conference, royal djurgården, stockholm, sweden - april 23-26, the difference between ecotourism and sustainable tourism, many confuse between the terms “ecotourism”, “sustainable tourism”, and “responsible travel”, so here’s a simple explanation on the differences..

Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas. Sustainable Tourism does not refer to a specific type of tourism, it is an aspiration for the impacts of all forms of tourism. All forms of tourism should be sustainable. The GSTC Criteria serve as the global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. Responsible Travel is a term referring to the behavior and style of individual travelers.

What is Ecotourism? Ecotourism Definitions

According to Fennell, “Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-consumptive, and locally-oriented (control, benefits, and scale). It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to the conservation or preservation of such areas” (Fennell, 1999: 43. Ecotourism: An Introduction ).

The Mohonk Agreement (2000), a proposal for international certification of Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism, saw ecotourism as “sustainable tourism with a natural area focus, which benefits the environment and communities visited, and fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and awareness.”

According to the UNWTO’s definition , “ecotourism refers to forms of tourism which have the following characteristics: (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 by specialised tour operators for small groups. Service provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses; (4) It minimises negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment; (5) It supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as ecotourism attractions 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.” These characteristics are sometimes referred to as principles of ecotourism.

The ecotourism definition by the Global Ecotourism Network (GEN): “Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and creates knowledge and understanding through interpretation and education of all involved (visitors, staff and the visited)” ( Global Ecotourism Network, 2016 ).

There are similar definitions along these lines by other organizations (such as Ecotourism Australia ).

What is Sustainable Tourism? Sustainable Tourism Definition

Sustainable tourism is “Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.” “Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability” (UNEP & UNWTO, 2005: 11-12. Making Tourism More Sustainable – A Guide for Policy Makers ).

The GSTC Criteria serve as the global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses and government agencies and other organization types, measurement and evaluation, and as a basis for certification.

They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. They are arranged in four pillars: (1) Sustainable management; (2) Socioeconomic impacts; (3) Cultural impacts; (4) Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes).

The GSTC Criteria have been built on decades of prior work and experience around the world, and they take into account the numerous guidelines and standards for sustainable tourism from every continent. During the process of development, they were widely consulted throughout the globe, in both developed and developing countries, in several languages. They reflect our goal in attaining a global consensus on sustainable tourism. The process of developing the Criteria was designed to adhere to the standards-setting code of the ISEAL Alliance, the international body providing guidance for the development and management of sustainability standards for all sectors. That code is informed by relevant ISO standards.

The Criteria are the minimum, not the maximum, which businesses, governments, and destinations should achieve to approach social, environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability. Since tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.

Are you a tourism professional? GSTC offers regular courses for professionals about sustainable tourism and the GSTC Criteria , sustainable business travel , and sustainable hotels .

What is Responsible Travel? Responsible Tourism Definition

Tourists and travelers can also influence businesses to follow sustainability practices and offer more sustainable products and services.

As a traveler, you can learn more about how to be a responsible traveler by visiting this page: GSTC for Travelers .

Want to Learn More?

The GSTC website is full of resources. Make sure you visit the relevant pages for you. Also, videos are available on the GSTC YouTube channel .

GSTC offers regular courses about sustainable tourism and the GSTC Criteria , as well as sustainable business travel , and sustainable hotels .

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What Is Ecotourism?

Conservation, offering market-linked long-term solutions, ecotourism provides effective economic incentives for conserving and enhancing bio-cultural diversity and helps protect the natural and cultural heritage of our beautiful planet., communities, by increasing local capacity building and employment opportunities, ecotourism is an effective vehicle for empowering local communities around the world to fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable development., interpretation, with an emphasis on enriching personal experiences and environmental awareness through interpretation, ecotourism promotes greater understanding and appreciation for nature, local society, and culture., the definition., ecotourism is now defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education” (ties, 2015). education is meant to be inclusive of both staff and guests., principles of ecotourism, ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. this means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should adopt the following ecotourism principles:.

• Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
• Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
• Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
• Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
• Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
• Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
• Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
• Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.

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Sustainable Tourism

The Mediterranean is the world’s leading tourism destination. The region is also considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world. Unfortunately, many mass tourism activities include unsustainable practices that threaten Mediterranean biodiversity and ecosystem services today: the trend is to continue growing in the next decades exacerbating current impacts.

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Sustainable tourism as an opportunity.

If managed responsibly, tourism can become an opportunity for the socio-ecological systems it relies on. But it requires companies, destinations, and tourists to be more aware and held accountable for their impact. We all have an important role to play to ensure that tourism lives up to its promise to improve people’s livelihoods and protect the environments they depend upon.  

Ecotourism respects the resources of protected Areas and the prosperity of locals. IUCN-Med is focused on developing sustainable tourism models providing both indirect and direct positive impact to conservation within and around parks, increasing their role in supporting the sustainable development of the destination. 

Reducing tourism pressures within the socio- ecological limits for coastal destinations, managing tourism growth to achieve positive net impact. IUCN-Med is exploring the creation of a simple mechanism to address the Net impact of tourism on coastal destinations, in partnership with  The Travel Foundation  and GFN. 

IUCN-Med is looking for  PARTNERSHIPS  to build alliances, fund and implement projects on:

• Building the  Mediterranean Ecological Network. 
• Assessing  Tourism impacts  on ecosystem services in coastal areas
• Tourism and Conservation Policy  Advocate for policy change and integration of conservation and sustainability agenda in tourism at Mediterranean, regional and local scale.
• Tourism Planning & management  Develop new tools and guidelines to plan, manage and monitor the net impact of tourism on key ecosystem services in coastal areas for destinations and administrations managing the coastal environment, under the principles of ICZM.
• Changing minds about tourism and nature  -   Mainstreaming biodiversity into the tourism industry, increasing the valorisation of the Med unmodified natural coastal landscapes as a key tourism asset and enhanced awareness of the sector on marine and coastal biodiversity.
• Reducing tourism impacts-  Work with the tourism supply chain on measuring and reducing its ecological footprint in Med coastal zones and Protected Areas.
• Market access for sustainable products-  creating innovative ecotourism products in Med PAs as best practice examples, supporting local operators to gain market access through the community around the MEET Network .
• Capacity for Tourism Management in PAs  Building capacity for ecotourism development in PAs, through coaching, training workshops and MOOCs, giving Protected Areas managers the training and tools to measure, manage and keep tourism impact within limits of acceptable change. 

Or those interested, please contact our focal person  [email protected]   with the message subject: Partnerships for Ecosystem Resilience and Spatial Planning

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What is ecotourism? A guide on how to travel sustainably.

Immerse yourself in nature — with respect for the environment and the culture that supports it.

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If you love nature, you may have tried to plan a vacation where you get to be immersed in it. Maybe you’ve explored a coral reef or visited an elephant sanctuary, or you dream of doing so one day. These activities can fall under the umbrella of ecotourism — a kind of nature-based travel that aims to protect and empower the environment, animals, and local communities — when planning vacations.

Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, accounting for 22 million new jobs last year , with a large part of that growth stemming from a post-lockdown itch for travel . As people return to packing as much stuff as humanly possible into a carry-on, ecotourism, too, will likely skyrocket to a market value of $299 billion by 2026 . In the last 10 years, travelers have become more environmentally conscious and socially responsible , looking for travel experiences that reflect their morals.

Still, the question for many well-meaning tourists remains: Is ethical ecotourism even possible?

There are a few things that complicate ecotourism’s narrative, like the carbon emissions produced by flights , or the challenges of ensuring that a significant degree of profits actually do go to local communities, protecting wildlife, and cultural heritage. Nature-based travel, too, can risk losing the plot, from sanctuaries that operate like petting zoos to the development of tropical coasts into even the most nature-forward resorts.

“It really boils down to an attitude, and an ethic about how we approach the natural world,” says David Fennell , a geography and tourism studies professor at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ecotourism . “Just by virtue of going to a national park doesn’t mean you’re an ecotourist, you have to have that attitude. And you have to tap into that ethic about what is important [to] not just yourself as a tourist, but about conservation and animal welfare.”

As a tourist, choosing where to go is an important decision, one that can help or hurt the environment and communities where you are visiting. There are some situations that are too good to be truly as effective as they claim, and accreditations, though helpful, may not tell the whole story. Understandably, trying to figure out what’s best for the environment, for communities, and for yourself can be overwhelming. It may be that ecotourism is a state of mind rather than a destination. Here are some ways to think about your next adventure to ensure your ethics align.

What actually is ecotourism?

An alternative to mass tourism — or when thousands of people visit a destination day in and day out ( think the resort-ification of Ibiza , in which people partied so hard that legislation was passed in 2022 to change the destination’s wasteful image) — ecotourism is meant to get you off the beaten trail and into a mindset of reciprocity with the site you are visiting.

As with many sustainability-oriented services, ecotourism got its start in the ’70s. It officially became a dictionary entry in 1982 , where it is defined as supporting conservation efforts, especially in often threatened natural environments. Since then though, the definition and intent have evolved to include bolstering local communities.

In the literature on ecotourism, travel can be distinguished into “hard paths” and “soft paths,” based on how many aspects of your trip follow the ethical north star of ecotourism and how demanding the trip will be of you. For example, if your trip features a strong environmental commitment and will be physically active, you’re likely on the hard path of ecotourism. If your trip is aimed at physical comfort with only a moderate nod to environmental commitment, you may be on a soft path. But taking it as an ethos means you can be an ecotourist anywhere, especially locally.

You might be wondering if a hike on a busy trail or swimming with manatees is ecotourism. Although both of those examples are nature-based tourism as they interface with the natural world, they’re not necessarily ecotourism, since both of these activities can put these destinations at risk if done in excess. Hiking a spot to death or droves of tourists putting Florida’s manatees at risk put pressure on the ecology of those places. In the 1980s, mass tourism began to wreck some of the world’s most sensitive ecosystems, such as the Riviera Maya in Mexico, where near-constant development has led to local forests being cleared .

Wildlife tourism runs the gamut from cruel breeding and hunting of lions to we-really-shouldn’t-have-cetaceans-in-captivity dolphin shows to cool , ethical birdwatching. Ecotourism including wildlife can be ethical as long as the animals you are engaging with are not manipulated or not free to disengage in interaction with tourists. “Anytime you have an animal that’s held in a captive environment, that you’re manipulating, the animal is not free to disengage that interaction, based on its own will,” says Fennell.

If you’re interested in going on adventures that are a little more sport-oriented, such as kayaking or diving, then this might be also considered nature-based tourism, since activities like climbing, sailing, camping, and snorkeling are less directly connected to ecological benefits. An example of nature tourism would be surfing lessons off Australia’s Coffs coast : You’re in nature having fun, but vibes are about all you’re contributing to the scene.

Ecotourism also has an educational component: You’re meant to learn about nature, culture, and threats to the area you’re in. Paul Rosolie — founder and Wildlife Director of Junglekeepers , a program that uses donations and tourist money to buy tracts of the Amazon along the Las Piedras River, in the Madre de Dios region of Peru — highlighted how ecotourism has brought people to the front lines of conservation.

“This is the edge of human presence on this planet,” Rosolie said via voice memo deep in the Amazon. “The battle is playing out between the progress of roads and development and the last places where there are untouched ecosystems, Indigenous communities, communities of species yet to be discovered. You get to see incredibly pristine, pure wilderness where a few people have managed to make a living.”

Ecotourism should encourage ethical considerations, like respect for the environment and host communities. For example, ecotourism aims to be biocentric , meaning that the interest of the living beings you are hoping to protect is prioritized over your own drive for pleasure. There is also the risk of too much tourism causing gentrification and raising prices for locals — see what’s currently happening in Mexico City , or consider the (fictional, but still germane) plot of HBO’s The White Lotus . Ecotourism aims to reverse the exploitative relationships between tourists and locals.

Lastly, ecotourism should strive for sustainability. In the case of Junglekeepers , which offers base station visits and ranger-accompanied hikes to tourists, this means extending employment to former loggers in their ranger program. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where there are six ecolodges for tourists to book, has anti-poaching teams who work with the Kenya Wildlife Service to stop illegal poaching for ivory, bushmeat, and logging.

The tricky questions around ecotourism

Just because ecotourism might have a broader application these days, it doesn’t necessarily mean all travel qualifies, especially since there are slews of companies and organizations attempting to make a quick buck off a catchy buzzword. Unfortunately, it’s hard to sift the wheat from the chaff. As ecotourism as a concept grows more and more popular, some experiences and excursions may not necessarily meet the intentions lined up above.

Tourism can be rife with greenwashing : vague and unsupported claims, and exaggerations about how much good a given entity is doing, like hotels highlighting their donations to ecological causes, but underpaying their staff . Some excursions put Indigenous peoples in precarious situations , and some force animals to perform or be ridden or petted in a forced and unnatural manner .

Milo Putnam — founder of Laro Ethical Wildlife Travels , a service that helps people plan eco-travel — warns, “Don’t be tricked by misused greenwashing buzzwords like ‘rescue,’ ‘sanctuary,’ or ‘eco-park.’ Companies know that tourists like these terms, which to these companies can mean more profits, even if it isn’t true. These terms are meaningless if not backed by actual ethical practices. Instead, look further to see if they are certified or accredited by a trusted organization.” (More on this below.)

Additionally, Fennell believes the most ethical ecotourists — the traveler and any organizations involved — should keep animals off the menu. Ecotourism’s biocentric approach should lead us to widen our moral consideration of animals and to care not only for charismatic megafauna like lions and elephants, but also for all creatures that make ecosystems function. “The global food system — mainly animal agriculture — is the primary driver of biodiversity loss ,” Putnam added. “Choosing a more plant-based diet has a positive impact on wildlife around the world.”

How to choose where to go

Certifications may give a clue to how well a given destination is achieving ecotourism goals, but they may not always exist.

Putnam has compiled a tip list for planning animal-based adventures and points to the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries as a resource. The federation checks in to ensure that no captive breeding is taking place, that tourists do not have direct contact with wildlife, and that animals have appropriate housing and veterinary care.

There is no universal ecotourism certification, but the Global Sustainable Tourism Council has compiled a list of certifications around the world that emphasize the four “C’s”: conservation, community, culture, and commerce. These certifications are a good place to start and they cover Asia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.

The land down under is at the top when it comes to vetting their tourism options. Australia’s ecotourism industry has some of the most sophisticated certifications including nature tourism, ecotourism, and advanced ecotourism . In this certification system, outback safari glamping in Karijini National Park counts as ecotourism, because it supports Indigenous peoples as it is owned and operated by the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation , which represents the interests of the Banjima, Yinhawangka, and Nyiyaparli peoples in Western Australia.

Everyone I spoke to underscored the importance of selecting an ethical destination for travel because the money you spend as a tourist can have a positive impact rather than an ambiguous impact or even detrimental effect on the places you’re visiting. As Rosolie puts it, “Finding the right place to go as a traveler is a very powerful decision to people who are devoting their whole lives to protecting a place.”

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Home > Books > Advances in Landscape Architecture

Role of Ecotourism in Sustainable Development

Submitted: 28 December 2012 Published: 01 July 2013

DOI: 10.5772/55749

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1. Introduction

Ecotourism is a sub-component of the field of sustainable tourism. Ecotourism’s perceived potential as an effective tool for sustainable development is the main reason why developing countries are now embracing it and including it in their economic development and conservation strategies. Ecotourism, as an alternative tourism, involves visiting natural areas in order to learn, to study, or to carry out activities environmentally friendly, that is, a tourism based on the nature experience, which enables the economic and social development of local communities. It focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artifacts from the locality. A symbiotic and complex relationship between the environment and tourist activities is possible when this philosophy can be translated into appropriate policy, careful planning and tactful practicum. Carefully planned and operated ecotourism sites, especially if it is village-based and includes local participation, is able to provide direct benefits that might offset pressure from other less sustainable activities that make use of natural and cultural resources. Eco tourism, natural resources, cultural heritage, rural lifestyle and an integrated tourism is a type of local economic activities. Therefore, ecotourism in naturel and culturel areas was carried out with a number of elements in their natural landscape and cultural landscape (water, vista, topography, vegetation, clean air), as well as in the variety of recreational activities suitable for all kinds of environments. Therefore, ecotourism and its natural assets and raw materials to create, as well as directing people to travel is an attractive force.

Ecotourism helps in community development by providing the alternate source of livelihood to local community which is more sustainable. Its aim is to conserve resources, especially biological diversity, and maintain sustainable use of resources, which an bring ecological experience to travelers, conserve the ecological environment and gain economic benefit. However, achieving the aims in ecotourism depends on whether they are environmentally and ecologically sustainable and economically applicable. Ecotourism helps in involving local community for the conservation of the ecology and biodiversity of the area that biodiversity in return provides the economic incentives to the local community. Eco-tourism contributes to conservation of biodiversity; sustains the well-being of local people; involves responsible action on the part of tourist and the tourism industry; promotes small and medium tourism enterprises; requires lowest possible consumption of natural resources; stresses local participation, ownership, and business opportunities, particularly for rural people; and above all includes the learning experiences.

In order for ecotourism to encourage patterns of sustainability, which can benefit local communities, protect the environment, and be economically viable, it must be comprehensive and account for the complexity of issues that have been mentioned in this paper.

This chapter has revealed that there is a need for sustainable development in tourism, and the connection between tourism and environment is much stronger than in other sectors. Ecotourism must account for social, economic and environmental implications, in order to succeed. The purpose of this study look at ways in which ecotourism and sustainable development can be evaluated; and suggest ways to improve current ecotourism practices. In parallel with this purpose, it was aimed at looking for an answer to questions of: What is Ecotourism? “What might be the effects of ecotourism?” What are the impacts and challenges of ecotourism? What are the possible benefits that ecotourism can bring? Within this scope, we focused on ecotourism’s definition, its objectives, the reasons of its emergence and development, its principles, its types, its environmental, social and economic impacts; ecotourism and sustainable development and on the examination of approaches to ecotourism in Turkey and Europe.

In this section, the subjects below will be discussed.

Introduction

What is ecotourism and its types?

What is sustainable development?

Ecotourism and environmental, social and economic impacts

Ecotourism and sustainable development relationship

Ecotourism – examples of implementation

2. What is ecotourism and its types?

Ecotourism, a unique subset of the tourism industry, is ‚focused on the enhancement or maintenance of natural systems through tourism. Ecotourism means different things to different people. To some, it is the general term that encompasses nature‐based, adventure, soft adventure, and cultural tourism. The term ecotourism was coined in 1983 by “Hctor Ceballos Lascurain” a Mexican environmentalist, and was initially used to describe nature-based travel to relatively undisturbed areas with an emphasis on education. Ecotourism guarantees the sustainable use of environmental resources, while generating economic opportunities for the local people ( Farrell & Runyan 2001 ; Bhattacharya, Chowdhury and Sarkar, 2011 ).

Ecotourism itself is meant to be a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism. Even though ecotourism lacks a concrete definition, there are many wellrecognized definitions that have formed a clear picture of its core principles, which are shown in Table 1 .

Definitions of ecotourism

The (International) Ecotourism Society in 1990: Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people in 1996 by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) which describes ecotourism as: Environmentally responsible travel and visitation to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples ( Joshi, 2011 )

Ecotourism tries to raise environmental consciousness by exploring ecology and ecosystems and by providing environmental type experiences. Taking part in ecology actively and getting first hand impressions of how ecosystems work influence peoples’ ways of thinking, which finally raises awareness of conservation and protection ( Ecotourism – Sustainable Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas, 2005 ).

According to Patterson (2002 ), characteristics of an ecotourism business are that it:

Have a low impact upon a protected area’s natural resources and recreation techniques.

Involve stakeholders (individuals, communities, ecotourists, tour operators and government institutions) in the planning, development, implementation and monitoring phases

Limits visitation to areas, either by limiting group size and/or by the number of groups taken to an area in a season

Supports the work of conservation groups preserving the natural area on which the

experience is based.

Orients customers on the region to be visited.

Hires local people and buys supplies locally, where possible.

Recognizes that nature is a central element to the tourist experience.

Uses guides trained in interpretation of scientific or natural history.

Ensures that wildlife is not harassed.

Respects the privacy and culture of local people.

According to Chesworth (1995 ), Ecotourism has six characteristics. These are: a) ecotourism involves travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas and/or archeological sites, b) it focuses on learning and the quality of experience, c) it economically benefits the local communities, d) ecotourists seek to view rare species, spectacular landscapes and/or the unusual and exotic, e) ecotourists do not deplete resources but even sustain the environment or help undo damage to the environment, and f) ecotourists appreciate and respect local culture, traditions, etc.

It focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artifacts from the locality. A symbiotic and complex relationship between the environment and tourist activities is possible when this philosophy can be translated into appropriate policy, careful planning and tactful practicum ( Rahman, 2010 ).

While the details vary, most definitions of eco-tourism boil down to a special form of tourism that meets three criteria:

it provides for environmental conservation;

it includes meaningful community participation;

it is profitable and can be self-sustained

As shown in Fig 1 , there is just a thin line of differentiation between sustainable tourism and ecotourism, which also shows that there is as such no absolute boundary between sustainable and unsustainable tourism ( Eriksson, 2003 ). According to Weaver (2001) ; Ecotourism exists within the broader classification of tourism types which, at an initial level, can be divided into ‘mass tourism’ and ‘alternative tourism’ ( Figure 1) . Mass tourism is seen as the more traditional form of tourism development where short-term, freemarket principles dominate and the maximization of income is paramount. The differences between mass tourism and ecotourism are shown in Table 2 .

Conceptual model of tourism ( Eriksson,2003 )

Ecotourism as a very specific form is part of the broad concept of nature-based tourism, or it can be said that ecotourism describes a nature-based operation in the field of tourism. “The most obvious characteristic of Ecotourism is that it is nature based” Figure 2 ( Weaver (2001 );

Distinct characteristics between mass tourism and ecotourism ( Dorobantu & Nıstoreanu, 2012 )

Relationship of ecotourism to other forms of tourism ( Hill & Gale, 2009 )

Adventure tourism is defined as: “an outdoor leisure activity that takes place in an unusual, exotic, remote or wilderness destination, involves some form of unconventional means of transportation, and tends to be associated with low or high levels of activity” ( Fennel & Dowling, 2003 ). According to this definition of adventure tourism and to that of ecotourism as previously stated, it seems that there are many overlapping concepts.

Ecotourism is a component of sustainable tourism. In many ways, sustainable tourism exemplifies the relationship between ecotourism and sustainable development ( Sâmbotın et al., 2011 ; Bansal & Kumar, 2011 );

Sustainable tourism will focus on three areas:

Quality – valuable experience for visitors and increased life quality for host communities through cultural identity, poverty reduction and environmental quality;

Continuity – exploitation is made at the optimum level that allows the preservation and regeneration of the natural resources;

Balance between the needs of tourism industry, environmental protection, and local communities by an equitable distribution of benefits among stakeholders

Standarts of ecotourism ( Weaver & Lawton, 2007 );

Protection of the Ecosystem

Maintenance of the ecosystem where the ecotourism attraction is located

Protection and maintenance of wildlife especially endangered species

Wildlife live harmoniously with people

Maintenance of the physico-chemical conditions of the area

Maintenance of the quality of fresh water and marine resources

No wastes overflow and contamination of the environment (water, soil and air)

Conservation of local culture and history

Culture of locality is maintained

Historical structures are maintained as part of cultural heritage

Infrastructures and signboards blend with the environment

Sustainability

Maintenance of Carrying Capacity of the environment;

Environmental education program is part of the ecotourism package;

Livelihood must benefit more the local community than outside entrepreneurs;

The local government supports the ecotourism project through ordinances and resolutions; and

The Management Board (community-based) and appropriate government agencies, e.g. DENR, support the project through strict enforcement of environmental laws

Experience and product management should follow principles and practices associated with ecological, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

Many dimensions clearly emerge from these widely stated definitions including ( Matthews, 2002 )

Ecotourism occurs in natural areas (most often protected areas) and/or places of unique ecological or cultural interest

Ecotourism contributes to conservation or preservation of the natural resources and promotes stewardship of natural and cultural resources.

Ecotourism should create necessary funds to promote permanent protection of ecological and socio-cultural resources

The local residents accrue economic and social benefits thereby contributing to project’s long-term success.

Ecotourism incorporates environmental and cultural education.

Ecotourism should be effectively managed for the long-term through minimal negative impacts on the host environment.

Ecotourism should provide a quality tourism experience.

These principles and standards must be put in place by those who develop ecotourism products, as well as those who plan the development of an area-based ecotourism. In ecotourism branch a special place is given by the marketing concept. The importance of proper marketing is widely recognized throughout the tourism sector that today tourism market has become increasingly segmented over the methods of communication to reach consumers have multiplied and diversified ( Boghean & Boghean, 2006 ).

3. What is sustainable development?

The concept of sustainability first appeared in the public scene in the report put out by the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) in 1987. The commission report advances the idea of sustainable development by noting that economic growth and environmental conservation are not only compatible but they are necessary partners. One cannot exist without the other ( Harris et al., 2002 ).Sustainable development is high potential for any community within economic, social, cultural, ecologic and physical constraints ( Bhuiyan et al., 2012 ). Sustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the most frequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts ( IISD, 2012 ):

The concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and

The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs."

Van der Merwe & Van der Marwe (1999) add that Sustainable development is a program for changing the process of economic development so that it ensures a basic quality of life for all people and at the same time protects the ecosystems and community systems that make life possible and worthwhile.

This was the dominant dilemma addressed by the Brundtland Commission which indicated that sustainable development should, as a minimum, address the following elements ( Wall, 2007 );

Maintenance of ecological integrity and diversity;

Meet basic human needs;

Keep options open for future generations;

Reduce injustice; and

Increase self-determination.

It was further suggested that in order for this to occur, it would be necessary to:

Revive economic growth;

Change the quality of growth;

Meet essential needs such as for jobs, food, energy, water and sanitation;

Conserve and enhance the resource base;

Reorient technology and manage risk; and

Merge environment and economics in decision making.

Defined sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is often called intergenerational equality, the idea is that we should share natural resources not just with people who are alive on the planet today but also with future generations of the earth’s inhabitants. Sustainable development integrates economic, social with the aforementioned environmental goals. Sustainability highlights on the resource conservation ( Dixon & Pretorius, 2001 ; Mebratu, 1998 ; Jaini, Anuar & Daim, 2012 ). Dixon & Pretorius (2001 ) cite the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), which emphasizes environmental, social and economic concerns as three distinct but interrelated components of sustainable development.

According to Hall (2008 ) sustainable development and tourism present change which refers to the movement from one state or condition to another. Whether such a transition is positive or negative depends on the original criteria by which change is measured. Sustainable tourism requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving it requires monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary. Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them ( World Tourism Organisation, 2001 ).

Sustainable development through ecotourism is a concerning issue in the world today. Many countries have ensured their regional development by this concept. In this concept, sustainable development may be occurred by the ecotourism and regional development ( Figure 3) simultaneously in an area. Dimensions of ecotourism development refer to the environmental, economic, and social aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance between these dimensions must be established to maintain its long-term sustainability ( Bhuiyan et al, 2012 ).

Sustainable development throught ecotourism ( Bhuiyan et al., 2012 )

4. Ecotourism and environmental, social and economic impacts

Tourism can be sustainable if development meets the needs of tourists and local residents while protecting future opportunities. Ecotourism offers benefits for local residents, conservation, development and educationalexperiences. Ecotourism is a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism. It focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artefacts from the locality ( Dowling,1997 ; Fennell, 1999 ).

Ecotourism entails a combination of conservation and tourism (the economics related with it) to benefit local communities, especially focusing on sustainability ( Myburgh & Saayman, 2002 ).

Natural and cultural landscape values form a basis for ecotourism. These values are geographical position, microclimatic conditions, existence of water, natural beauties, existence of natural vegetation, existence of wildlife, surface features, geomorphologic structure, local food, festivals and pageants, traditional agricultural structure, local handicrafts, regional dress culture, historical events and people, heritage appeals, architectural variety, traditional music and folk dance, artistic activities and so on ( Gerry, 2001 ; Lane, 1993 , Lanquar, 1995 ; Soykan, 1999 ; Brıassoulis, 2002 , Catibog-Sinha & Wen, 2008 ; Mlynarczyk, 2002 ; Drzewiecki, 2001 ; Kiper, 2006 ).

Ecotourism operates for one or more of the eco-friendly alternatives for the economic use of natural resources compared with mining, hunting, farming and so on ( Li, 2006 ). Ecotourism promotes an enhanced appreciation of natural environments and environmental education by exposing visitors and locals to nature and conservation ( Bob et al., 2008 ).

Ecotourism is largely perceived to safeguard natural areas and thereby to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. It focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, its landscape, flora, fauna and their habitats, as well as cultural artefacts from the locality. In ecotourism planning the first issue that emerges is the environment and its conservation ( Munn, 1992 ; Ceballos-Lascurain, 1996 ; Gössling, 1999 ; Tisdell & Wilson, 2002 ; Lindsey et al., 2005 ; Lopez-Espinosa de los Monteros, 2002 ; Fung & Wong, 2007 )

An ecotourism destination must in no way be developed without planning in terms of environmental concern ( Rahman, 2010 ). Within the ecotourism implementation existence of water resources creates advantages in terms of both visuality and utilization. Climatic features of a region influence tourism directly and indirectly and play a crucial role in the development of tourism. Plants drawing interest thanks to their size, age or appearance are other appealing components of ecotourism. Flowering plants are important resources in ecoturism. Historical, natural and folkloric values are important sources for ecotourism. According to Soykan, traditional commercial products are one of the most significant appeals leading to development of ecotourism in a region. This is because whole production process from planting to harvest and processing bear cultural differences, and most of them are performed in traditional ways ( Kiper, 2011 ).

Ecotourism has the potential to seriously impact local communities, largely due to the tendency of ecotourists to have a greater interest in the culture and nature of the areas they visit, as compared to mass tourists ( McMinn, 1997 ).

Ecotourism destinations are always environmentally sensitive because ecotourism activities directly involve various environmental phenomena including bird watching, trekking, mountaineering, horse riding and elephant riding within the forest wilderness trail, staying in natural caves, studying about flora and fauna, simple bush walking, fishing, animal behavior study, ecological studies ( Rahman,2010 ). Ecotourism always incorporates various activities in nature (hiking, mountain climbing, observing the living beings in their natural habitat, etc.), but it may include cultural activities, too. Ecotourism is an important educational component, it is a chance to learn respect for nature, for the local culture, and for some it is a chance to self-reflection being inspired by the beauty of the surroundings.

5. Ecotourism and sustainable development relationship

Tourism is a highly complex activity and thus requires tools to assist in effective decision making to come to terms with the competing economic, social, and environmental demands of sustainable development ( Fadahunsi, 2011 ). Table 3 indicates some interesting examples of potential risks from tourism activities, which are especially crucial in naturel and culturel areas.

Potential Risks from Tourism (Ecotourism – Sustainable Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas, 2005)

Ecotourism has been regarded as a panacea for solving many of the environmental and economic problems of lessdeveloped nations. Yet, regardless of how socially and environmentally responsible ecotourism may be in theory, in practice it remains rooted in the tourism industry ( Wall, 1997 ). Similarly, tourism activities generally can create various negative impacts on the surrounding environment. Increased human interference in ecologically fragile areas can cause irreversible change in the existing ecological processes. These problems can be reflected in degrading natural resources, vegetation structure and the size of the habitat patch, increasing deforestation and decreasing upstream water flow ( Tourism Queenland, 2002 ).

Ecotourism is rooted in the concept of sustainable development, as defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development’s Brundtland report (1987) ( Place, 1995 ; King & Stewart, 1992 ; McMinn, 1997 ; Stem et al., 2003 ). According to the emergence of sustainable tourism development it is proven that the milestone for its emergence was the Brundtland Report by the WCED in the year 1987. Previously, many ideas in this field had been developed at the IUCN -The World Conservation Union and referenced in the World Conservation Strategy published in 1980 ( Ritchie & Crouch, 2003 ). Ecotourism is often perceived as an tool for promoting sustainable development in developing countries. Ecotourism helps in community development by providing the alternate source of livelihood to local community which is more sustainable. Many view ecotourism as a viable way to protect the natural environment and create social and economic benefits for local communities. Ecotourism encompasses a spectrum of nature-based activities that foster visitor appreciation and understanding of natural and cultural heritage and are managed to be ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. Therefore, ecotourism is accepted as an alternative type of sustainable development. Ecotourism has attracted increasing attention in recentyears, not only as an alternative to mass tourism, but also as a means to promote a country’s economic development and environmental conservation. Its aim is to conserve resources, especially biological diversity, and maintain sustainable use of resources, which can bring ecological experience to travelers, conserve the ecological environment and gain ( Bansal & Kumar, 2011 ; Godratollah et al., 2011 ; Tewodros, 2010 ). Ecotourism is increasingly being lauded as a sustainable development option for rural communities, one that is able to spur economic development ( Vogt, 1997 ) and instill environmental protection at the same time ( Cater, 2002 ). If the environment has not at least achieved a net benefit toward its sustainability and ecological integrity, then the activity is not ecotourism.

Many groups have proposed sets of guidelines or principles for sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Ecotourism is a sustainable version of tourism in natural areas, including at the same time elements of rural and cultural tourism. Besides subscribing to the principles of sustainable tourism, ecotourism has specific principles: it contributes actively to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, it includes local communities in planning, development and operation activities, and it contributes to their welfare, it involves complete and interesting explanations for visitors, regarding the natural and cultural resources, it is intended mainly to individual visitors and also to small organized groups ( Sâmbotın et al, 2011 ). According to Buchsbaum 2004 ; in many ways, sustainable tourism exemplifies the relationship between ecotourism and sustainable development. Many groups have proposed sets of guidelines or principles for sustainable tourism and ecotourism Tourism Concern and the World Wildlife Fund for Nature developed a wellknown list of principles and guidelines in 1991, which are presented in Table 4 .

Principles for Sustainable Tourism ( Blamey, 2001 ).

Medina (2005 ) explains that a criterion for sustainable tourism should include indicators of social and economic sustainability adding up to indicators of environmental sustainability. In addition, Wall (1997) has argued that for tourism to contribute to sustainable development it must be economically viable, environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate, and the forms that this might take are likely to vary with location. The following table 5 . develops sustability goals of ecotourism. Achieving sustainable tourism—defined here as tourism that is ecologically benign, economically feasible and socially acceptable—is thus contingent on environmental protection and reconciling tourism activities with local socio-economic values ( Brown et al., 1997 ).

Three systems of sustainability in ecotourism development (According to Wall 1997; Alexander and Whitehouse 2004; ( Jiang 2008 ).

These criteria include quantification of environmental performance for most of the key environmental indicators. This allows recognition and encouragement of ecotourism product that makes measured environmental improvements which result in a more sustainable world (http://www.ecoroute.eu/brochures/Report_SW_Europe_draft30-04-2004.pdf. Review of criteria, procedures and legal framework for ecotourism in Europe).

According to Rome (1999 ); Ecotourism is one strategy for supporting conservation and providing income for communities in and around protected areas. It can contribute to economic development and conservation of protected areas by: a) generating revenues that can be used to sustainably manage protected areas, b) providing local employment and c) inculcating a sense of community ownership. However, without careful planning and management that balance ecological, social, and economic objectives, it may lead to environmental damage. Furthermore, envisioned as a positive approach towards sustainable development, unplanned or poorly planned and implemented tourism can have serious negative effects, offsetting the benefits it was designed to provide. Even the potential local benefits of ecotourism can lead to environmental damage to a protected area.

The core set of eight principles are that ecotourism product should: ( The Green Globe 21 International Ecotourism Standard , 2004 )

Focus on giving visitors the opportunity to personally and directly experience nature (Natural Area Focus);

Provide opportunities to experience nature in ways that lead to greater understanding, appreciation and enjoyment (Interpretation);

Represent best practice for environmentally sustainable tourism (Environmental Sustainability Practice);

Contribute directly to the conservation of natural areas (Contribution to Conservation);

Provide ongoing contributions to the local community (Benefiting Local Communities);

Be sensitive to, interpret and involve the culture/s existing in the area (Cultural Respect);

Consistently meets consumer expectations (Customer Satisfaction) ; and

Be marketed and promoted honestly and accurately so that realistic expectations are formed (Responsible Marketing).

One of the most influential ecotourism documents, the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism (2002), produced after the World Ecotourism Summit during the International Year of Ecotourism, recognized that not only does ecotourism embrace the principles of sustainable tourism but it also embodies the following specific principles: (1) contributes actively to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage; (2) includes local and indigenous communities in its planning, development and operation, and contributes to their well-being; (3) interprets the natural and cultural heritage to visitors; (4) encourages independent travelers, as well as organized tours for small size groups. TIES’ (2010) asserts that those involved in ecotourism should follow six principles: (1) minimize impact; (2) build environmental and cultural awareness and respect; (3) provide positive experiences for visitors and hosts; (4) provide direct financial benefits for conservation; (5) provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people; and (6) raise sensitivity to hosts’ cultures political, and social climate)( McLaughlin, 2011 ).

The participants at the World Ecotourism Summit, held in Quebec in May 2002, have acknowledged that ecotourism respects the principles of sustainable tourism referring to the economic, social and environmental impact, with some further specific principles ( Sâmbotın et al, 2011 );

Ecotourism actively contribute to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Ecotourism include local communities in the activities of planning, development and operation, and it contributes to

their welfare.

Ecotourism involves complete and interesting explanations for visitors, regarding the natural and cultural resources.

Ecotourism is intended mainly for individual visitors and small organized groups.

According to Ramwell and Henry (1996) point out four basic principles of sustainable development and sustainable ecotourism tourism development (Yogi, 2010).

Holistic and strategic planning

Conservation of essential ecological system

Conservation of both human (cultural) and natural heritage

Long term development and productivity for the future generation.

So both sustainable tourism and sustainable development focuses on the same key issues of ecology, society, and a systemic process of development that is guided by strategic planning ( Yogi, 2010 ).

6. Ecotourism – examples of implementation

More tranquil, natural and original spaces are preferred to ordinary tourism centers. Likewise, individuals have begun to prefer activities, which they can particularly perform in naturel and culturel areas and with which they can learn original cultural values and be within the nature, instead of sea-sand-sun tourism. Ecotourism has increased very quickly in recent years especially in developing countries. These are highlighted in Table 6 and pertain to economic aspects, impacts on culture, environmental concerns and development. In the Tourism Strategy of Turkey-2023 and the Ninth Development Plan (2007-2013), it is aimed to utilize natural, cultural, historical and geographical values of Turkey based on conservation-use balance, to increase the share of Turkey from tourism and to promote the attractiveness of regions via alternative tourism types like ecotourism ( Tourism Strategy of Turkey-2023 , 2007; Ninth Development Plan, 2006 ).

Ecotourism is implemented differently around the world, and the impacts on native cultures vary similarly. It is universal that tourism is a crucial industry to provide economic support to developing countries. An international pact in 1996 designated the tourism industry as the paramount economic growth strategy within Central America ( Moreno, 2005 ). At this point, “Ecotourism” activities have particularly recently become sectors which can create great changes both in socio-cultural and economic aspects.

Effects of eco-tourism in international countries ( Watkin, 2003 ; Kiper, Özdemir, Sağlam, 2011 )

Ecotourism activities have been sorted into the following categories: ( Economic Development Branch BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, 2003 )

Marine Ecotourism

marine cruising including sailing, yacht and power cruising

sea kayaking tours

Land based Ecotourism

Bicycle Touring/Mountain Biking

Horseback Trail Riding

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

Freshwater River Rafting, Canoeing and Kayaking

Winter Tourism (Back Country /Tour Skiing, Dog Sledding, Snow Shoeing)

Walking, camping, boating, hunting, sight-seeing, swimming, cultural activities, observing wildlife and nature, skiing, visiting historical places, and horse riding among

The general trend in ecotourism is to increase experiences by encouraging activities such as long-distance walking, camping, boating, hunting, sight-seeing, swimming, cultural activities, bicycling, observing wildlife and nature, skiing, visiting historical places, and horse riding among others. Generally, instructive activities, for example, wildlife observation, participation in festivals, cultural activities and nature landscapes, attract most attention. Activities like hiking, outdoor sports, picnic, paragliding arranged according to different areas of interest influence the preferences of many visitors ( Kiper, 2011 ; Cengiz, 2007 ). According to Soykan, for Europeans rural roads are natural and cultural heritages. This is because they have natural, economic and cultural identities. Some give us opportunity to familiarize with local planting patterns by passing through agricultural lands, some lie among virgin natural areas with beautiful views (e.g. forests, rivers, lakes) and some connect the settlements which have unique cultural monuments. Therefore, in many countries in Europe (specifically Austria, Switzerland and France, which have mountainous areas) long distance trekking is well-organized ( Kiper, 2011 ).

In order for ecotourism to have a sustainable development, the analyses for determining land use suitabilities gain importance. It and other similar methods set standards or ranges of acceptable change and describe a methodology for determining these standards, measuring impacts and identifying management strategies for controlling negative impacts. They include ve includeIn recent years resources assessments have adopted oppottunity spectrum methods.

Opportunty spectrum this group includes ( Fagence, 2001 ; Rome, 1999 ) ;

ROS (Recreation Opportunty Spectrum)

TOS (Tourism Opportunty Spectrum)

LAC (Limits of Acceptable Change)

TA (Threshold Analysis, and more recently UET-ultimate environmental thresholds)

ECOS (Ecotourism Opportunty Spectrum)

Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC)

Visitor Impact Management (VIM)

Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP)

Tourism Optimisation Management Model (TOMM)

The ECOS model ( Table 7) has been developed especially to cope with the peculiar needs of planning for ecotourism the capture of ecolpgical base-line data is the important first step.

Refinement to ECOS assesments could include

Landscape assesments (to differentiate geographical sectors according to their principal ecotourism resources, stages of “naturalness/change, levels of ecotourist interest)

Attractiveness indices ( to differentiate according to uniqueness, international drawing power, primacy-a measure of comparative attraction)

Resource status (to differentiate according to the degree of disturbance of the natural resource, and any circumstance which might impede its sustainability or cause its attractiveness to be forfeited –a form of carrying capacity assesment)

Conservation potential (including rehabilitation potential)

Marketing assesments (combining some of the other assessments according to an aggregation of attractiveness for particular consumer/tourist market segments –to interpet the feasibility of capturing and sustaining tourist interest)

This data is then assessed or measured in terms of the capacity to be used in ecotourism, with the assessment focusing on eight important factors:

ECOS models ( Fagence, 2001 )

Also, “Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods” are used widely in detecting land use suitabilities. The integration of ELECTRE, to give the order of precedence of uses, with GIS, a quite important means in spatial planning studies, will enable to reach successful results. Studies for determining the suitabilities for use of a land for ecotourism will also determine the development of the land in the following years and the sustainability of its resource values.

In the eco-tourism plans, diversifying economic and ecologic activities by starting and developing organized eco-tourism practice, enhancing the life quality of the locals with the economic gains provided by eco-tourism, increasing the participation of habitat conservation, improving environmental conscious, conserving natural, cultural and historical landscape values and passing them onto the next generation and popularizing ecotourism planning with the support and participation of responsible and related organizations should be aimed. Good planning of natural and cultural elements that create resources for eco-tourism activities and their management will make important contributions to the local public. ( Gültekin, 2010 ).

While envisioned as a positive approach towards sustainable development, unplanned or poorly planned and implemented tourism can have serious negative effects on the environment and on communities, offsetting the benefits it was designed to provide. In order to anticipate negative impacts and to prevent or mitigate them, ecotourism impacts monitoring is required. The sample of potential ecotourism monitoring ındicators are shown in Table 8 .

A sample of potential ecotourism monitoring ındicators ( Rome, 1999 )

7. Conclusion

Various tendencies also occur in the understanding of tourism upon changing living conditions. More tranquil, natural and original spaces are preferred to ordinary tourism centers. Likewise, individuals have begun to prefer activities, which they can particularly perform in naturel and culturel areas and with which they can learn original cultural values and be within the nature, instead of sea-sand-sun tourism. At this point, “Ecotourism” activities have particularly recently become sectors which can create great changes both in socio-cultural and economic aspects. Main purpose is not only ensuring the socio-economic development but also the protection of natural and cultural landscape values to ensure awareness of nature conservation on the other hand.

Ecotourism should be seen in direct relation to nature conservation (protected areas), with preservation of the authentic and involving local communities in all stages of the process. Development process is a lengthy process, which requires a sustained effort from all those involved but can bring major benefits in the long term, contribute directly to the creation of "sustainable existing 'target area ( Roxana, 2012 ).

Ecotourism is about ( Roxana, 2012 );

environmentally responsible travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas,

travel in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature,

the promotion of conservation,

combining sustainable development with the natural environments,

the use of natural assets and resources in ecologically sensitive areas to create unique visitor experiences with minimal impact on the area.

After research we can draw the main conclusions of this work, as it follows: ( Sâmbotın, 2011 )

Ecotourism is a form of tourism developed in natural areas, whose goal is to acknowledge and to appreciate nature and local culture, which includes conservation measures and ensures an active involvement, generating benefits for the local population;

Ecotourism clothes the sustainable tourism principles, but differs from it by aspects related to local community issues, interpretation for visitors to a particular destination, the number of visitors;

Tourism has a complex impact on the environment, but it is also generating both cost and benefits;

The interest of tourists for travel in natural areas (land or water) has increased recently;

Ecotourism contributes to increased revenues from tourism, but also to the positive social effects;

Worldwide, there are a large number of natural areas associated with a specific cultural diversity, resulting in particular through the perpetuation of the long traditions and customs;

Tourists have a certain responsibility towards the destination visited and the environment by their choice itself, behavior and activities performed in that space, and therefore it is important to be informed about the quality and sensitivity of destinations.

These principles should be envisaged both for lovers of this form of tourism and service providers of such eco-touristic products.

Basic purposes of ecotourism are to preserve and utilize natural and cultural resources in a sustainable way and to enable economic development of local people. However, achieving the aims in ecotourism depends on whether they are environmentally and ecologically sustainable and economically applicable. In order to achieve these, a participative tourism planning is required ( Kiper, 2011 ). Figure 4 illustrates the multiple and diverse elements essential for ensuring that communities fulfil their role in ecotourism development ( Drumm & Moore, 2002 ).

Essential elements for ecotourism in community setting

Now that ecotourism has reached such stature, it is especially important to scrutinize its effectiveness as a strategy for sustainable development, and search for ways to improve policies and practices. Clearly ecotourism is not a universal remedy; but its potential to promote sustainable development deserves considerable attention.

In conclusion, According to Kiper, Özdemir and Sağlam (2011 ); ecotourism activities which are not performed according to the purpose, the principles and the characteristics cause the disturbance in environmental, economic and socio-cultural fields due to over-intensification to be occurred especially in sensitive ecosystems like naturel and culturel areas. Therefore, in order to provide sustainability in the ecotourism, it is necessary to know environmental, social and economical effects of ecotourism activities and to consider these effects during the planning. Tourism planning purposes this. relationship between rational resources requirements Ensuring the sustainable use of natural (water, vista, topography, clean air, natural vegetation structure, microclimatic features of climate, marine and coastal topographic structure and motion, etc.) and cultural resources (Archeological heritage, Religious structures, Conventional architecture, Traditional social activities) to the evaluation of the physical planning decisions in the field of ecological planning strategies ( Dinç and Kocan, 2012 ). Additionally, According to Bunruamkaew & Murayama (2012 ); ecotourism development must promote educational development and create awareness in people of the need to jointly maintain the ecosystem of the area. There is a need to implement development plans and manage natural resources in a way that ensures ecological and environmental integrity. Environmental education and interpretation is the key to creating an enjoyable and meaningful ecotourism experience, and is one of the key points of differentiation between ecotourism and other tourism products. Successful interpretive components of ecotourism products will foster appreciation and support for conservation efforts, local communities and culture.

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• 24. Ecotourism- Sustainable Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas 2005 Banff National Park in Canada and Nationalpark Gesause in Austria-a Camparison, 170 Online [Available]: www.np-gesaeuse. at/.../Obenaus_oJ_Ecotourism.pdf.
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• 41. IISD 2012 What is Sustainable Development?. International Institue for Sustainable Development, Online [Available]: www.iisd.org/sd.
• 64. Ninth Development Plan (2007-2013) 2006 Online [Available]: http:// ekutup.dpt.gov.tr/plan/plan9.pdf
• 67. QuickStart Guide to a Tourism Business 2006 Ecotourism vs Nature Based Tourism, Tourism Western Australia. http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Growing%20Your%20Business/Ecotourism%20vs%20Nature%20Based%20Tourism%20 3 final).pdf.
• 76. The Green Globe 21 International Ecotourism Standard 2004 Review of criteria, procedures and legal framework for ecotourism in Europe. http://www.ecoroute.eu/brochures/Report_SW_Europe_draft30-04-2004.pdf
• 78. Tourism Queenland 2002 Queensland Ecotourism Plan 2003 2008 Tourism Queensland: Brisbane, Australia, 2002. Online [Available]: http://www.tq.com.au/fms/tq_ corporate/ special interests /ecotourism2/Queensland %20).
• 79. Tourism Strategy of Turkey-2023 2007 Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ankara, Turkey, 60 p.
• 85. Weaver D.B & Lawton, L.J. 2007 Twenty years on: The state of contemporary ecotourism research. Tourism Management, 28 1168 1179
• 88. World Tourism Organisation 2001 Indicators for Sustainable Development for Tourism Organisations: A Guidebook. Madrid, Spain.

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Ecotourism and sustainable development: a scientometric review of global research trends

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• Lishan Xu 1 , 2 ,
• Changlin Ao   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8826-7356 1 , 3 ,
• Baoqi Liu 1 &
• Zhenyu Cai 1  

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With the increasing attention and awareness of the ecological environment, ecotourism is becoming ever more popular, but it still brings problems and challenges to the sustainable development of the environment. To solve such challenges, it is necessary to review literature in the field of ecotourism and determine the key research issues and future research directions. This paper uses scientometrics implemented by CiteSpace to conduct an in-depth systematic review of research and development in the field of ecotourism. Two bibliographic datasets were obtained from the Web of Science, including a core dataset and an expanded dataset, containing articles published between 2003 and 2021. Our research shows that ecotourism has been developing rapidly in recent years. The research field of ecotourism spans many disciplines and is a comprehensive interdisciplinary subject. According to the research results, the evolution of ecotourism can be roughly divided into three phases: human disturbance, ecosystem services and sustainable development. It could be concluded that it has entered the third stage of Shneider’s four-stage theory of scientific discipline. The research not only identifies the main clusters and their advance in ecotourism research based on high impact citations and research frontier formed by citations, but also presents readers with new insights through intuitive visual images.

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1 Introduction

Ecotourism, which has appeared in academic literature since the late 1980s, is a special form of nature-based tourism that maintains the well-being of the local community while protecting the environment and provides tourists with a satisfying nature experience and enjoyment (Ceballos-Lascuráin, 1996 ; Higgins, 1996 ; Orams, 1995 ). With years of research and development, ecotourism has risen to be a subject of investigation in the field of tourism research (Weaver & Lawton, 2007 ). In 2002, the United Nations declared it the International Year of Ecotourism (IYE), and the professional Journal of Ecotourism was established in the same year.

With the progress and maturity of ecotourism as an academic research field, countless scholars have put forward standards and definitions for ecotourism (Sirakaya et al., 1999 ; Wight, 1993 ). The main objectives of ecotourism emphasize long-term sustainable development (Whitelaw et al., 2014 ), including the conservation of natural resources, the generation of economic income, education, local participation and the promotion of social benefits such as local economic development and infrastructure (Ardoin et al., 2015 ; Coria & Calfucura, 2012 ; Krüger, 2005 ; Oladeji et al., 2021 ; Ross & Wall, 1999 ; Valdivieso et al., 2015 ). It can also boost rural economies and alleviate poverty in developing countries (Snyman, 2017 ; Zhong & Liu, 2017 ).

With unrestricted increasing attention to the ecological environment and the improvement of environmental awareness, ecotourism is becoming ever more prevalent, and the demand for tourism is increasing year by year (CREST, 2019 ). This increase, however, leads to a number of environmental, social and economic challenges in the development of ecotourism. For example, due to the low public awareness of ecotourism, the increase in tourists has brought a series of negative impacts on the local ecological environment, culture and economy, including disrespect for local culture and environmental protection, as well as more infrastructure construction and economic burden to meet the needs of tourists (Ahmad et al., 2018 ; Chiu et al., 2014 ; Shasha et al., 2020 ; Xu et al., 2020 ). Such challenges and contradictions are urgent problems to be tackled by the sustainable development of ecotourism. Especially against the backdrop of the current pandemic, tourism has experienced a severe blow, but climate change and other environmental issues have not been improved (CREST, 2020 ). In this context, facing these challenges and difficulties, it is essential to re-examine the future development path of ecotourism, to explore how government agencies can formulate appropriate management policies while preserving the environment and natural resources to support sustainable tourism development. Accordingly, it is necessary to consult literature in the field of ecotourism to understand the research progress and fundamental research issues, to identify challenges, suitable methods and future research direction of ecotourism.

Some previous reviews of ecotourism offer a preview of research trends in this rapidly developing area. Weaver and Lawton ( 2007 ) provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state and future progress of contemporary ecotourism research, starting with the supply and demand dichotomy of ecotourism, as well as fundamental areas such as quality control, industry, external environment and institutions. Ardoin et al. ( 2015 ) conducted a literature review, analyzing the influence of nature tourism on ecological knowledge, attitudes, behavior and potential research into the future. Niñerola et al. ( 2019 ) used the bibliometric method and VOSviewer to study the papers on sustainable development of tourism in Scopus from 1987 to 2018, including literature landscape and development trends. Shasha et al. ( 2020 ) used bibliometrics and social network analysis to review the research progress of ecotourism from 2001 to 2018 based on the Web of Science database using BibExcel and Gephi and explored the current hot spots and methods of ecotourism research. These reviews have provided useful information for ecotourism research at that time, but cannot reflect the latest research trends and emerging development of ecotourism either of timeliness, data integrity, research themes or methods.

This study aims to reveal the theme pattern, landmark articles and emerging trends in ecotourism knowledge landscape research from macro- to micro-perspectives. Unlike previous literature surveys, from timeliness, our dataset contains articles published between 2003 and 2021, and it will reveal more of the trends that have emerged over the last 3 years. Updating the rapidly developing literature is important as recent discoveries from different areas can fundamentally change collective knowledge (Chen et al., 2012 , 2014a ). To ensure data integrity, two bibliographic datasets were generated from Web of Science, including a core dataset using the topic search and an expanded dataset using the citation expansion method, which is more robust than defining rapidly growing fields using only keyword lists (Chen et al., 2014b ). And from the research theme and method, our review focuses on the area of ecotourism and is instructed by a scientometric method conducted by CiteSpace, an analysis system for visualizing newly developing trends and key changes in scientific literature (Chen et al., 2012 ). Emerging trends are detected based on metrics calculated by CiteSpace, without human intervention or working knowledge of the subject matter (Chen et al., 2012 ). Choosing this approach can cover a more extensive and diverse range of related topics and ensure repeatability of analysis with updated data (Chen et al., 2014b ).

In addition, Shneider’s four-stage theory will be used to interpret the results in this review. According to Shneider’s four-stage theory of scientific discipline (Shneider, 2009 ), the development of a scientific discipline is divided into four stages. Stage I is the conceptualization stage, in which the objects and phenomena of a new discipline or research are established. Stage II is characterized by the development of research techniques and methods that allow researchers to investigate potential phenomena. As a result of methodological advances, there is a further understanding of objects and phenomena in the field of new subjects at this stage. Once the techniques and methods for specific purposes are available, the research enters Stage III, where the investigation is based primarily on the application of the new research method. This stage is productive, in which the research results have considerably enhanced the researchers’ understanding of the research issues and disclosed some unknown phenomena, leading to interdisciplinary convergence or the emergence of new research directions or specialties. The last stage is Stage IV, whose particularity is to transform tacit knowledge into conditional knowledge and generalized knowledge, so as to maintain and transfer the scientific knowledge generated in the first three stages.

The structure of this paper is construed as follows. The second part describes the research methods employed, the scientometric approach and CiteSpace, as well as the data collection. In the third part, the bibliographic landscape of the core dataset is expounded from the macroscopic to the microscopic angle. The fourth part explores the developments and emerging trends in the field of ecotourism based on the expanded dataset and discusses the evolution phase of ecotourism. The final part is the conclusion of this study. Future research of ecotourism is prospected, and the limitations of this study are discussed.

2 Methods and data collection

2.1 scientometric analyses and citespace.

Scientometrics is a branch of informatics that involves quantitative analysis of scientific literature in order to capture emerging trends and knowledge structures in a particular area of study (Chen et al., 2012 ). Science mapping tools generate interactive visual representations of complex structures by feeding a set of scientific literature through scientometrics and visual analysis tools to highlight potentially important patterns and trends for statistical analysis and visualization exploration (Chen, 2017 ). At present, scientometrics is widely used in many fields of research, and there are also many kinds of scientific mapping software widely used by researchers and analysts, such as VosViewer, SCI2, HistCite, SciMAT, Gephi, Pajek and CiteSpace (Chen, 2011 , 2017 ; Chen et al., 2012 ).

Among these tools, CiteSpace is known for its powerful literature co-citation analysis, and its algorithms and features are constantly being refined as it continues to evolve. CiteSpace is a citation visual analysis software developed under the background of scientometrics and data visualization to analyze the basics that are included in scientific analysis (Chen, 2017 ; Chen et al., 2012 ). It is specialized designed to satisfy the need for systematic review in rapidly changing complicated areas, particularly with the ability to identify and explain emerging trends and transition patterns (Chen et al., 2014a ). It supports multiple types of bibliometric research, such as collaborative network analysis, co-word analysis, author co-citation analysis, document co-citation analysis, and temporal and spatial visualization (Chen, 2017 ). Currently, CiteSpace has been extensively used in more than 60 fields, including computer science, information science, management and medicine (Abad-Segura et al., 2019 ; Chen, 2017 ).

In this paper, we utilize CiteSpace (5.8.R1) to analyze acquired bibliographies of ecotourism to study emerging trends and developments in this field. From macro to micro, from intuitive to complex, from whole to part and from general to special, the writing ideas are adopted. Figure  1 presented the specific research framework of this study.

The research framework of this study

2.2 Data collection

Typical sources of scientific literature are Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. Considering the quantity and quality of data, the Web of Science database was expected to provide the original data in this research. In order to comprehend the research status and development trends of ecotourism, this study systematically reviewed the ecotourism literature collected on the Web of Science Core Collection. The Web of Science Core Collection facilitates access to the world’s leading scholarly journals, books and proceedings of conferences in the sciences, social sciences, art, and humanities, as well as access to their entire citation network. It mainly includes Science Citation Index Expanded from 2003 to current and Social Sciences Citation Index from 2004 to present. Therefore, the data obtained in this study are from 2003 and were consulted on June 3, 2021.

In the process of data retrieval, it is frequently confronted with the choice between recall rate and precision rate. To address the problem of low recall rate in keyword or topic retrieval, Chen et al. ( 2014a , b ) expanded the retrieval results through ‘citation expansion’ and ‘comprehensive topic search’ strategies. However, when the recall rate is high, the accuracy rate will decrease correspondingly. In practical standpoint, instead of refining and cleaning up the original search results, a simpler and more efficient way is to cluster or skip these unrelated branches. Priority should be placed on ensuring recall rate, and data integrity is more important than data for accuracy. Therefore, two ecotourism documentation datasets, the core dataset and the expanded dataset, were obtained from the Web of Science by using comprehensive topic search and citation expansion method. The latter approach has been proved more robust than using keyword lists only to define fast-growing areas (Chen et al., 2014b ). A key bibliographic landscape is generated based on the core dataset, followed by more thorough research of the expanded dataset.

2.2.1 The core dataset

The core dataset was derived through comprehensive subject retrieval in Web of Science Core Collection. The literature type was selected as an article or review, and the language was English. The period spans 2003 to 2021. The topic search query is composed of three phrases of ecotourism: ‘ ecotour* ’ OR ‘ eco-tour* ’ OR ‘ ecological NEAR/5 tour* ’. The wildcard * is used to capture related variants of words, for example, ecotour, ecotourism, ecotourist and ecotourists. The related records that are requested include finding these terms in the title, abstract or keywords. The query yielded 2991 original unique records.

2.2.2 The expanded dataset

The expanded dataset includes the core dataset and additional records obtained by reference link association founded on the core dataset. The principle of citation expansion is that if an article cites at least one article in the core dataset, we can infer that it is related to the topic (Garfield, 1955 ). The expanded dataset is comprised of 27,172 unique records, including the core dataset and the articles that cited them. Both datasets were used for the following scientometrics analysis.

3 Bibliographic landscape based on the core dataset

The core dataset consists of a total of 2991 literature from 2003 to 2021. This study utilized the core dataset to conduct an overall understanding of the bibliographic landscape in the field of ecotourism.

3.1 Landscape views of core dataset

The distribution of the yearly publication of bibliographic records in the core and expanded datasets is presented in Fig.  2 . It can be observed that the overall number of ecotourism-related publications is on the rise, indicating that the scholarly community is increasingly interested in ecotourism. After 2018, the growth rate increased substantially. And in 2020, the number of publications in the expanded dataset is close to 5000, almost double that of 2017 and 5 times that of 2011. This displays the rapid development of research in the field of ecotourism in recent years, particularly after 2018, more and more researchers began to pay attention to this field, which also echoes the trend of global tourism development and environmental protection. With the increase in personal income, tourism has grown very rapidly, and with it, tourism revenue and tourist numbers, especially in developing states. For instance, the number of domestic tourists in China increased from 2.641 billion in 2011 to 6.06 billion in 2019, and tourism revenue increased from 1930.5 billion RMB in 2011 to 5725.1 billion RMB in 2019 (MCT, 2021 ). However, due to the lack of effective management and frequent human activities, the rapid development of tourism has led to various ecological and environmental problems, which require corresponding solutions (Shasha et al., 2020 ). This has played an active role in promoting the development of ecotourism and triggered a lot of related research. In addition, since 2005, the expanded dataset has contained numerous times as many references as the core dataset, demonstrating the importance of using citation expansion for literature retrieval in scientometric review studies.

The distribution of bibliographic records in core and expanded dataset. Note The data were consulted on June 3, 2021

The data were consulted on June 3, 2021

The dual-map overlay of scientific map literature as Fig.  3 shows, against the background of global scientific map from more than 10,000 journals covered by Web of Science, represents the distribution and connections on research bases and application fields across the entire dataset of the research topics (Chen & Leydesdorff, 2014 ). Colored lines are citation links, and numbered headings are cluster labels. On the left side is the journal distribution which cites literature, regarding the field application of ecotourism, mainly covers multiple disciplines such as 3. Ecology, Earth, Marine, 6. Psychology, Education, Health, 7. Veterinary, Animal Science and 10. Economics, Economic and Political. On the right side is the distribution of journals of cited literature, representing the research basis of ecotourism. As can be observed from the figure, ecotourism research is based on at least five disciplines on the right, including 2. Environmental, Toxicology, Nutrition, 7. Psychology, Education, Social, 8. Molecular, Biology, Genetics, 10. Plant, Ecology, Zoology and 12. Economics, Economic, Political. It can be viewed that the research field of ecotourism spans multiple disciplines and is a comprehensive and complex subject. The dual-map overlay provides a global visualization of literature growth of the discipline level.

A dual-map overlay of ecotourism literature

The total number of papers issued by a country or an institution reflects its academic focus and overall strength, while centrality indicates the degree of academic cooperation with others and the influence of published papers. The top 15 countries and institutions for the number of ecotourism papers published from 2003 to 2021 are provided in Table 1 . Similar to the study of Shasha et al. ( 2020 ), the ranking of the top six countries by the number of publications remains unchanged. As can be seen from the table, the USA ranks first in the world, far ahead in both the number of publications and the centrality. China ranks second in global ecotourism publications, followed by Australia, England, South Africa and Canada. While the latest data show that Taiwan (China), Turkey and South Korea appear on the list. Overall, the top 15 countries with the most publications cover five continents, containing a number of developed and developing, which shows that ecotourism research is receiving global attention. In terms of international academic cooperation and impact of ecotourism, Australia and England share second place, Italy and France share fourth place, followed by South Africa and Spain. China’s centrality is relatively low compared to the number of publications, ranking eighth. Academic cooperation between countries is of great significance. Usually, countries with high academic publishing level cooperate closely due to similar research interests. International academic cooperation has enhanced each other’s research capacity and promoted the development of ecotourism research. Therefore, although some countries have entered this list with the publication number, they should attach importance to increase academic cooperation with other countries and improving the international influence of published papers.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences and its university are the most prolific when it draws to institutions’ performance. It is the most important and influential research institute in China, especially in the field of sustainable development science. Australia has four universities on the list, with Griffith University and James Cook University in second and third place. USA also includes four universities, with the University of Florida in fourth place. South Africa, a developing country, gets three universities, with the University of Cape Town and the University of Johannesburg fifth and sixth, respectively. In comparison with previous studies (Shasha et al., 2020 ), Iran and Mexico each have one university in the ranking, replacing two universities in Greece, which means that the importance and influence of developing countries in the field of ecotourism is gradually rising. Based on the above results, it can be summarized that the USA, China, Australia and South Africa are relatively active countries in the field of ecotourism, and their development is also in a relatively leading position.

3.2 Most active topics

The foam tree map and the pie chart of the focal topics of ecotourism based on the core dataset generated by Carrot2 through the title of each article is illustrated in Fig.  4 . Developing and developed, case study, protected areas, sustainable tourism, tourism development and developing ecotourism are leading topics in the field of ecotourism research, as well as specific articles under the main topics. The lightweight view generated by Carrot2 provides a reference for the research, and then, co-word analysis is employed to more specifically reflect the topics in the research field.

Foam tree map and pie chart of major topics on ecotourism

The topics covered by ecotourism could be exposed by the keywords of the articles in the core dataset. Figure  5 displays the keywords analysis results generated based on the core dataset. From the visualization results in the figure, it can infer that ecotourism, conservation, tourism, management, protected area, impact, biodiversity, sustainability, national park and community are the ten most concerned topics. Distinct colors set out at the time of co-citation keywords first appear, and yellow is generated earlier than red. In addition, Fig.  5 can also reflect the development and emerging topics in the research field, such as China, Mexico, South Africa and other hot countries for ecotourism research; ecosystem service, economic value, climate change, wildlife tourism, rural tourism, forest, marine protected area and other specific research directions; valuation, contingent valuation, choice experiment and other research methods; willingness to pay, preference, benefit, perception, attitude, satisfaction, experience, behavior, motivation, risk, recreation and other specific research issues.

A landscape view of keywords based on the core dataset

4 Emerging trends and developments based on the expanded dataset

The expanded dataset, consisting of 27,172 records, is approximately nine times larger than the core dataset. This research applies the expanded dataset to profoundly explore the emerging trends and developments of ecotourism.

4.1 Keywords with citation bursts

Detection of citation bursts can indicate both the scientific community’s interest in published articles and burst keywords as an indicator of emerging tendencies. Figure  6 displays the top 30 keywords with the strongest citation bursts in the expanded dataset. Since 2003, a large number of keywords have exploded. Among them, the strongest bursts include ecotourism, bird, disturbance, reserve, Africa, challenge, sustainable development and strategy. Keywords with citation burst after 2017 are experience, challenge, sustainable development, willingness to pay, perspective, strategy, quality and satisfaction, which have continued to this day. The results indicate dynamic development and emerging trends in research hotspots in the field of ecotourism.

Top 30 keywords with the strongest citation bursts

4.2 References with citation bursts

Figure  7 sets out the top 30 references in the expanded dataset with citation bursts. The articles with the fastest growing citations can also contribute to describe the dynamics of a field. References with high values in strength column are important milestones of ecotourism research. The two articles with strong citation bursts prior to 2010 focused on the human impact on the environment and animals. West et al. ( 2006 ) discussed the relationship between parks and human beings and the social impact of protected areas, and Köndgen et al. ( 2008 ) studied the decline of endangered great apes caused by a human pandemic virus. The paper with the strongest citation burst in the entire expanded dataset was released by Fairhead et al. ( 2012 ), which looked at ‘green grabbing,’ the appropriation of land and resources for environmental purposes. Milcu et al. ( 2013 ) conducted a semi-quantitative review of publications dealing with cultural ecosystem services with the second strongest citation burst, which concluded that the improvement of the evaluation method of cultural ecosystem service value, the research on the value of cultural ecosystem service under the background of ecosystem service and the clarification of policy significance were the new themes of cultural ecosystem service research. In addition, many articles with citation burst discussed the evaluation method of ecosystem services value (Costanza et al., 2014 ; Groot et al., 2010 ), the evaluation of cultural ecosystem service value (Plieninger et al., 2013 ) and its role in ecosystem service evaluation (Chan et al., 2012 ; Chan, Guerry, et al., 2012 ; Chan, Satterfield, et al., 2012 ; Chan, Satterfield, et al., 2012 ; Daniel et al., 2012 ). The most fresh literature with strong citation burst is the article of D’Amato et al. ( 2017 ) published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, which compared and analyzed sustainable development avenues such as green, circular and bio economy. In addition, it is worthwhile noting the use of R in ecotourism, with the persuasive citation burst continuing from 2012 to the present, as indicated by the orange arrow in Fig.  7 .

Top 30 references with the strongest citation bursts

4.3 Landscape view of co-citation analysis

The landscape view of co-citation analysis of Fig.  8 is generated based on the expanded dataset. Using g -index ( k  = 25) selection criteria in the latest edition of CiteSpace, an annual citation network was constructed. The final merged network contained 3294 links, 2122 nodes and 262 co-citation clusters. The three largest linked components cover 1748 connected nodes, representing 82% of the entire network. The modularization degree of the synthetic network is 0.8485, which means that co-citation clustering can clearly define each sub-field of ecotourism. Another weighted mean silhouette value of the clustering validity evaluation is 0.9377, indicating that the clustering degree of the network is also very superior. The harmonic mean value amounts to 0.8909.

A landscape view of the co-citation network based on the expanded dataset

In the co-citation network view, the location of clusters and the correlation between clusters can show the intellectual structure in the field of ecotourism, so that readers can obtain an overall understanding of this field. The network falls into 25 co-citation clusters. The tags for each cluster are generated founded on the title, keywords and abstract of the cited article. Color-coded areas represent the time of first appeared co-citation links, with gray indicating earlier and red later. The nodes in the figure with red tree rings are references to citation bursts.

4.4 Timeline view

In order to further understand the time horizon and study process of developing evolution on clusters, after the generation of co-citation cluster map, the Y -axis is cluster number and the year of citation publication is X -axis, so as to obtain the timeline view of the co-citation network, shown as Fig.  9 . Clusters are organized vertically from largest to smallest. The color curve represents co-citation link coupled with corresponding color year, with gray representing earlier and red representing newer. Larger nodes and nodes with red tree rings indicate high citation or citation burst. The three most cited references of the year demonstrate below each node, in vertical order from least to most.

A timeline visualization of the largest clusters

The timeline view provides a reasonably instinctual and insightful reference to understand the evolutionary path of every subdomain. Figure  9 shows 19 clusters ranging from #0 to #18, with #0 being the largest cluster. As can be seen from the figure, the sustainability and activeness of each cluster are contrasting. For example, the largest cluster has been active since 2006, while the gray and purple clusters are no longer active.

4.5 Major clusters

Taking clustering as a unit and analyzing at the level of clustering, specifically selecting large or new type clustering, is the foothold of co-citation analysis, which can help to understand the principal and latest research fields related to ecotourism. Table 2 displays a summary of the foremost 19 clusters, the first nine of which are all over 100 in size. The silhouette score of all clusters is greater than 0.8, indicating that the homogeneity of each cluster is high. The mean year is the average of the publication dates of references in the cluster. By combining the results in Table 2 , Figs.  8 and 9 , it can be observed that the five largest clusters are #0 cultural ecosystem services, #1 large carnivore, #2 human disturbance, #3 whale shark and #4 ecosystem service. A recent topic is cluster #16 COVID-19 pandemic. #11 Ecological footprint and #14 social media are two relatively youthful fields.

The research status of a research field can be demonstrated by its knowledge base and research frontier. The knowledge base consists of a series of scholarly writing cited by the corresponding article, i.e., cited references, while the research frontier is the writing inspired by the knowledge base, i.e., citing articles. Distinct research frontiers may come from the same knowledge base. Consequently, each cluster is analyzed based on cited references and citing articles. The cited references and citing articles of the five largest clusters are shown in Online Appendix A. Fig a) lists the 15 top cited references with the highest Σ (sigma) value in the cluster, where Σ value indicates that the citation is optimal in terms of the comprehensive performance of structural centrality and citation bursts. Fig b) shows the major citing articles of cluster. The citation behavior of these articles determines the grouping of cited literature and thus forms the cluster. The coverage is the proportion of member citations cited by citing articles.

4.6 Phase evolution research

Through the above analysis of the core dataset and the expanded dataset of ecotourism, we can see the development and evolution of the research field of ecotourism. The research process of ecotourism has gone through several stages, and each stage has its strategic research issues. Research starts with thinking about the relationship between humans and nature, moves to study it as a whole ecosystem, and then explores sustainable development. Hence, the evolution of ecotourism can be roughly parted into three phases.

4.6.1 Phase I: Human disturbance research stage (2003–2010)

This phase of research concentrates on the influence of human activities such as ecotourism on the environment and animals. Representative keywords of this period include ecotourism, human disturbance, response, coral reef, bird, disturbance, recreation, reserve, park, South Africa and people. Representative articles are those published by West et al. ( 2006 ) and Köndgen et al. ( 2008 ) of human impact on the environment and animals. The representative clustering is #2 human disturbance, which is the third largest one, consisting of 130 cited references from 1998 to 2012 with the average year of 2004. This cluster has citation bursts between 2002 and 2010 and has been inactive since then. As showed in Fig S3 a) and b), the research base and frontier are mainly around the impact of human disturbances such as ecotourism on biology and the environment (McClung et al., 2004 ). And as showed in Fig.  8 and Fig.  9 , clusters closely related to #2 belong to this phase and are also no longer active, such as #5 off-road vehicle, #6 protected area, #10 poverty reduction and #12 sustainable lifestyle.

4.6.2 Phase II: Ecosystem services research stage (2011–2015)

In this stage, the content of ecotourism research is diversified and exploded. The research is not confined to the relationship between humans and nature, but begins to investigate it as an entire ecosystem. In addition, some specific or extended areas began to receive attention. Typical keywords are abundance, resource, Africa, risk, predation, consequence and science. The most illustrative papers in this stage are Fairhead et al. ( 2012 )’s discussion on green grabbing and Milcu et al. ( 2013 )’s review on cultural ecosystem services. Other representative papers in this period focused on the evaluation methods of ecosystem service value and the role of cultural ecosystem service in the evaluation of ecosystem service value. Most of the larger clusters in the survey erupted at this stage, including #0 cultural ecosystem services, #1 large carnivore, #3 whale shark, #4 ecosystem services. Some related clusters also belong to this stage, such as #7 neoliberal conservation, #8 responsible behavior, #9 tourism development, #13 mangrove forest, #15 volunteer tourism, #17 circular economy and #18 telecoupling framework.

Cluster #0 cultural ecosystem services are the largest cluster in ecotourism research field, containing 157 cited references from 2006 to 2019, with the mean year being 2012. It commenced to have the citation burst in 2009, with high cited continuing until 2019. Cultural ecosystem services are an essential component of ecosystem services, including spiritual, entertainment and cultural benefits. Thus, in Fig.  8 , the overlap with #4 ecosystem services can obviously be seen. In Cluster #0, many highly cited references have discussed the trade-offs between natural and cultural ecosystem services in ecosystem services (Nelson et al., 2009 ; Raudsepp-Hearne et al., 2010 ) and the important role of cultural ecosystem services in the evaluation of ecosystem services value (Burkhard et al., 2012 ; Chan, Guerry, et al., 2012 ; Chan, Satterfield, et al., 2012 ; Fisher et al., 2009 ; Groot et al., 2010 ). As non-market value, how to evaluate and quantify cultural ecosystem services is also an important issue (Hernández-Morcillo et al., 2012 ; Milcu et al., 2013 ; Plieninger et al., 2013 ). Besides, the exploration of the relationship among biodiversity, human beings and ecosystem services is also the focus of this cluster research (Bennett et al., 2015 ; Cardinale et al., 2012 ; Díaz et al., 2015 ; Mace et al., 2012 ). The citing articles of #0 indicate the continued exploration of the connotation of cultural ecosystem services and their value evaluation methods (Dickinson & Hobbs, 2017 ). It is noteworthy that some articles have introduced spatial geographic models (Havinga et al., 2020 ; Hirons et al., 2016 ) and social media methods (Calcagni et al., 2019 ) as novel methods to examine cultural ecosystem services. In addition, the link and overlap between #0 cultural ecosystem service and #17 circular economy cannot be overlooked.

Ecosystem services relate to all the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, including supply services, regulatory services, cultural services and support services. Research on cultural ecosystem services is based on the research of ecosystem services. It can be viewed in Fig.  9 that the research and citation burst in #4 was all slightly earlier than #0. Cluster #4 includes 118 references from 2005 to 2019, with an average year of 2011. In its research and development, how to integrate ecosystem services into the market and the payment scheme to protect the natural environment is a significant research topic (Gómez-Baggethun et al., 2010 ). In Cluster #4, the most influential literature provides an overview of the payment of ecosystem services (PES) from theory to practice by Engel et al. ( 2008 ). Many highly cited references have discussed PES (Kosoy & Corbera, 2010 ; Muradian et al., 2010 ), including the effectiveness of evaluation (Naeem et al., 2015 ), social equity matters (Pascual et al., 2014 ), the suitability and challenge (Muradian et al., 2013 ), and how to contribute to saving nature (Redford & Adams, 2009 ). The cluster also includes studies on impact assessment of protected areas (Oldekop et al., 2016 ), protected areas and poverty (Brockington & Wilkie, 2015 ; Ferraro & Hanauer, 2014 ), public perceptions (Bennett, 2016 ; Bennett & Dearden, 2014 ) and forest ecosystem services (Hansen et al., 2013 ). The foremost citing articles confirm the dominant theme of ecosystem services, especially the in-depth study and discussion of PES (Muniz & Cruz, 2015 ). In addition, #4 is highly correlated with #7 neoliberal protection, and Fairhead et al. ( 2012 ), a representative article of this stage, belongs to this cluster.

As the second largest cluster, Cluster #1 contains 131 references from 2008 to 2019, with the median year of 2014. As Fig S2 a) shows, the highly cited literature has mainly studied the status and protection of large carnivores (Mace, 2014 ; Ripple et al., 2014 ), including the situation of reduction (Craigie et al., 2010 ), downgrade (Estes et al., 2011 ) and even extinction (Dirzo et al., 2014 ; Pimm et al., 2014 ), and the reasons for such results, such as tourist visits (Balmford et al., 2015 ; Geffroy et al., 2015 ) and the increase in population at the edge of the protected areas (Wittemyer et al., 2008 ). The conservation effects of protected areas on wildlife biodiversity (Watson et al., 2014 ) and the implications of tourist preference heterogeneity for conservation and management (Minin et al., 2013 ) have also received attention. It is worth noting that the high citation rate of a paper using R to estimate the linear mixed-effects model (Bates et al., 2015 ) and the use of R in this cluster. The relationship between biodiversity and ecotourism is highlighted by the representative citing articles in research frontier of this cluster (Chung et al., 2018 ).

Cluster #3 refers to marine predator, and as shown in Fig.  8 , which has a strong correlation with #1. A total of 125 references were cited from 2002 to 2018, with an average year of 2011. References with high citation in #3 mainly studied the extinction and protection of marine life such as sharks (Dulvy et al., 2014 ), as well as the economic value and ecological impact of shark ecotourism (Clua et al., 2010 ; Gallagher & Hammerschlag, 2011 ; Gallagher et al., 2015 ). The paper published by Gallagher et al. ( 2015 ) is both the highly cited reference and main citing article, mainly focusing on the impact of shark ecotourism. It is also noteworthy that #6 protected area, #13 mangrove forest and #29 Mediterranean areas are highly correlated with these two clusters (Fig.  8 ).

Moreover, some clusters are not highly correlated with other clusters, but cannot be neglected at this stage of research. Cluster #8 responsible behavior includes 107 citations with the average year 2013, and mainly studied environmentally responsible behaviors in ecotourism (Chiu et al., 2014 ). Cluster #9 tourism development contains 97 cited references with mean year of 2015, focusing on the impact of such factors as residents’ perception on tourism development (Sharpley, 2014 ). Cluster #15 volunteer tourism consists of 52 citations, with an average year of 2011, which mainly considers the role of volunteer tourism in tourism development and sustainable tourism (Wearing & McGehee, 2013 ). Cluster #18 telecoupling framework has 26 cited references with the mean year being 2015, and the application of the new integrated framework of telecoupling Footnote 1 in ecotourism can be seen (Liu et al., 2015 ).

At this stage, it can be seen that the research field of ecotourism begins to develop in the direction of diversification, including the value evaluation and related research of ecosystem services and cultural ecosystem services, as well as the exploration of wild animals and plants, marine animals and plants and biodiversity. Neoliberal conservation, tourists’ responsible behavior, tourism development, volunteer tourism and circular economy are all explored. Some new research methods have also brought fresh air to this field, such as the introduction of spatial geographic models and social media methods, the discussion of economic value evaluation methods, the widespread use of R and the exploration of telecoupling framework. Therefore, from this stage, research in the field of ecotourism has entered the second stage of scientific discipline development (Shneider, 2009 ), featured by the use and evolution of research tools that can be used to investigate potential phenomena.

4.6.3 Phase III: Sustainable development research stage (2016 to present)

This stage of research continues to explore a series of topics of the preceding phase and further extends the research field on this basis. The keywords at this stage are politics, marine protected area and valuation. Some other keywords are still very active today, such as experience, challenge, sustainable development, willingness to pay, perspective, strategy, quality and satisfaction. The representative article is about sustainable development published by D'Amato et al. ( 2017 ), as shown in Fig.  8 belonging to #17 circular economy. The emerging clusters in this period are #11 ecological footprint, #14 social media and #16 COVID-19 pandemic. Cluster #11 contains 70 cited references from 2013 to 2020 with the mean year 2017. This clustering study mainly used the ecological footprint as an environmental indicator and socioeconomic indicators such as tourism to investigate the hypothesis of environmental Kuznets curve (Ozturk et al., 2016 ; Ulucak & Bilgili, 2018 ). Cluster #14 includes 52 cited references, with an average year of 2016. It can be seen that the introduction of social media data has added new color to research in the field of ecotourism, such as using social media data to quantify landscape value (Zanten et al., 2016 ) and to understand tourists’ preferences for the experience of protected areas (Hausmann et al., 2018 ), as well as from a spatial perspective using social media geo-tagged photos as indicators for evaluating cultural ecosystem services (Richards & Friess, 2015 ). As the latest and most concerned topic, cluster #16 contains 48 cited references, with mean year of 2018. This cluster mainly cites research on over-tourism (Seraphin et al., 2018 ) and sustainable tourism (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018 ) and explores the impact of pandemics such as COVID-19 on global tourism (Gössling et al., 2021 ).

These emerging clusters at this phase bring fresh thinking to the research of ecotourism. First of all, the analysis of ecological footprint provides a tool for measuring the degree of sustainability and helps to monitor the effectiveness of sustainable programs (Kharrazi et al., 2014 ). Research and exploration of ecological footprint in ecotourism expresses the idea of sustainable development and puts forward reasonable planning and suggestions by comparing the demand of ecological footprint with the carrying capacity of natural ecosystem. Secondly, the use of social media data brings a new perspective of data acquisition to ecotourism research. Such large-scale data acquisition can make up for the limitations of sample size and data sampling bias faced by survey data users and provide a new way to understand and explore tourist behavior and market (Li et al., 2018 ). Finally, the sudden impact of COVID-19 in 2020 and its long-term sustainability has dealt a huge blow to the tourism industry. COVID-19 has highlighted the great need and value of tourism, while fundamentally changing the way destinations, business and visitors plan, manage and experience tourism (CREST, 2020 ). However, the stagnation of tourism caused by the pandemic is not enough to meet the challenges posed by the environment and the climate crisis. Therefore, how to sustain the development of tourism in this context to meet the challenges of the environment and climate change remains an important issue in the coming period of time. These emerging clusters are pushing the boundaries of ecotourism research and the exploration of sustainable development in terms of research methods, data collection and emerging topics.

Despite the fact that the research topics in this stage are richer and more diversified, the core goal of research is still committed to the sustainable development of ecotourism. The introduction of new technologies and the productive results have led to a much-improved understanding of research issues. All this commemorates the entrance of research into the third stage of the development of scientific disciplines (Shneider, 2009 ). In addition to continuing the current research topics, the future development of the field of ecotourism will continue to focus on the goal of sustainable development and will be more diversified and interdisciplinary.

5 Conclusion

This paper uses scientometrics to make a comprehensive visual domain analysis of ecotourism. The aim is to take advantage of this method to conduct an in-depth systematic review of research and development in the field of ecotourism. We have enriched the process of systematic reviews of knowledge domains with features from the latest CiteSpace software. Compared with previous studies, this study not only updated the database, but also extended the dataset with citation expansion, so as to more comprehensively identify the rapidly developing research field. The research not only identifies the main clusters and their advance in ecotourism research based on high impact citations and research frontiers formed by citations, but also presents readers with new insights through intuitive visual images. Through this study, readers can swiftly understand the progress of ecotourism, and on the basis of this study, they can use this method to conduct in-depth analysis of the field they are interested in.

Our research shows that ecotourism has developed rapidly in recent years, with the number of published articles increasing year by year, and this trend has become more pronounced after 2018. The research field of ecotourism spans many disciplines and is a comprehensive interdisciplinary subject. Ecotourism also attracts the attention of numerous developed and developing countries and institutions. The USA, China, Australia and South Africa are in a relatively leading position in the research and development of ecotourism. Foam tree map and pie chart of major topics, and the landscape view of keywords provide the hotspot issues of the research field. The development trend of ecotourism is preliminarily understood by detecting the citation bursts of the keywords and published articles. Co-citation analysis generates the main clusters of ecotourism research, and the timeline visualization of these clusters provides a clearer view for understanding the development dynamics of the research field. Building on all the above results, the research and development of ecotourism can be roughly divided into three stages: human disturbance, ecosystem services and sustainable development. Through the study of keywords, representative literature and main clusters in each stage, the development characteristics and context of each stage are clarified. From the current research results, we can catch sight that the application of methods and software in ecotourism research and the development of cross-field. Supported by the Shneider’s four-stage theory of scientific discipline (Shneider, 2009 ), it can be thought that ecotourism is in the third stage. Research tools and methods have become more potent and convenient, and research perspectives have become more diverse.

Based on the overall situation, research hotspots and development tendency of ecotourism research, it can be seen that the sustainable development of ecotourism is the core issue of current ecotourism research and also an important goal for future development. In the context of the current pandemic, the tourism industry is in crisis, but crisis often breeds innovation, and we must take time to reconsider the way forward. As we look forward to the future of tourism, we must adopt the rigor and dedication required to adapt to the pandemic, adhering to the principles of sustainable development while emphasizing economic reliability, environmental suitability and cultural acceptance. Post-COVID, the competitive landscape of travel and tourism will change profoundly, with preventive and effective risk management, adaptation and resilience, and decarbonization laying the foundation for future competitiveness and relevance (CREST, 2020 ).

In addition, as can be seen from the research and development of ecotourism, the exploration of sustainable development increasingly needs to absorb research methods from diverse fields to guide the formulation of policy. First of all, how to evaluate and quantify ecotourism reasonably and scientifically is an essential problem to be solved in the development of ecotourism. Some scholars choose contingent valuation method (CVM) and choice experiment (CE) in environmental economics to evaluate the economic value of ecotourism, especially non-market value. In addition, the introduction of spatial econometrics and the use of geographic information system (GIS) provide spatial scale analysis methods and results presentation for the sustainable development of ecotourism. The use of social media data implies the application of big data technology in the field of ecotourism, where machine learning methods such as artificial neural networks (ANN) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) are increasingly being applied (Talebi et al., 2021 ). The measurement of ecological footprint and the use of telecoupling framework provide a reliable way to measure sustainable development and the interaction between multiple systems. These approaches all have expanded the methodological boundaries of ecotourism research. It is worth noting that R, as an open source and powerful software, is favored by scholars in the field of ecotourism. This programming language for statistical computation is now widely used in statistical analysis, data mining, data processing and mapping of ecotourism research.

The scientometrics method used in this study is mainly guided by the citation model in the literature retrieval dataset. The range of data retrieval exercises restraint by the source of retrieval and the query method utilized. While current methods can meet the requirements, iterative query optimization can also serve to advance in the quality of the data. To achieve higher data accuracy, the concept tree function in the new version of CiteSpace can also serve to clarify the research content of each clustering (Chen, 2017 ). In addition, the structural variation analysis in the new edition is also an interesting study, which can show the citation footprints of typical high-yielding authors and judge the influence of the author on the variability of network structure through the analysis of the citation footprints (Chen, 2017 ).

Availability of data and material

The data that support the findings of this study are available from Web of Science.

Telecoupling, an integrated concept proposed by Liu et al. ( 2013 ), encompasses both socioeconomic and environmental interactions among coupled human and natural systems over distances. Liu et al. ( 2013 ) also constructed an integrated framework for telecoupling research, which is used to comprehensively study and explain multiple human-nature coupling systems at multiple spatial–temporal scales to promote the sustainable development of global society, economy and environment, and has been applied to ecotourism, land change science, species invasion, payments for ecosystem services programs, conservation, food trade, forest products, energy and virtual water, etc. (Liu et al., 2015 ).

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This study is funded by Education Department of Heilongjiang Province (1451MSYYB013) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.71874026 and No.71171044).

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Xu, L., Ao, C., Liu, B. et al. Ecotourism and sustainable development: a scientometric review of global research trends. Environ Dev Sustain 25 , 2977–3003 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02190-0

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• Published: 31 May 2023

Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: empirical evidence from developing economies

• Yunfeng Shang 1 ,
• Chunyu Bi 2 ,
• Xinyu Wei 2 ,
• Dayang Jiang 2 ,
• Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5446-7093 3 , 4 &
• Ehsan Rasoulinezhad   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7726-1757 5  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  10 , Article number:  275 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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• Environmental studies

Developing ecotourism services is a suitable solution to help developing countries improve the status of sustainable development indicators and protect their environment. The primary purpose of this paper is to find out the effects of green governance variables and carbon dioxide emissions on ecotourism for 40 developing economies from 2010 to 2021. The results confirmed a uni-directional causal relationship between the green governance indicator and the inflation rate of the ecotourism indicator. In addition, with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. In comparison, with a 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries, ecotourism will increase by 0.32%. Moreover, ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to macroeconomic variables changes than in developed economies. Geopolitical risk is an influential factor in the developing process of ecotourism. The practical policies recommended by this research are developing the green financing market, establishing virtual tourism, granting green loans to small and medium enterprises, and government incentives to motivate active businesses.

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Introduction

The challenge of climate change has become a primary threat to living on the Earth in the last centuries (Rasoulinzhad and Taghizadeh-Hesary, 2022 ). Many meetings of the countries at the regional and international level are held on the topics of environment and climate change. Regardless of environmental issues, population growth, and the lack of control of greenhouse gas emissions, industrialization has been the most crucial cause of the climate change crisis. Chao and Feng ( 2018 ) address human activity as the leading cause of climate change and express that this challenge is a potential threat to living on Earth. Woodward ( 2019 ) argued that climate change threats include the rise in global temperature, the melting of polar ice caps, and unprecedented disease outbreaks. Therefore, urgent policies and solutions are essential to control and lower the risk of global change. One of the signs of climate change is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface. Figure 1 shows the temperature data from 1910 to 2021 for the four continents of Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America.

Source: Authors from NOAA ( https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/global/time-series ).

The data in Fig. 1 shows that the air temperature has increased significantly over the past century, which has been more prominent in Asia and Europe. In 2021, we saw a decrease in temperature changes due to the spread of the Corona disease and a decrease in the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the role of the Asian continent in increasing the global temperature has been more than other continents due to its large population and excessive consumption of fossil fuels.

During the past decades, the world’s countries have tried to formulate and implement various environmental policies collectively in the form of agreements or separately to fight environmental threats. Regarding international agreements, such things as the Paris Agreement of 2015, the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, the Montreal Protocol of 1987, and the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985 can be addressed whose primary purpose is to integrate the goals and motivation of the international community to the world’s environmental threats. However, a group of earlier studies, such as Zheng et al. ( 2017 ), Takashima ( 2018 ), and Roelfsema et al. ( 2022 ), emphasized the inefficiency of these global agreements, especially after the left the USA from the Paris Agreement on 1 June 2017. The most important cause of this inefficiency has been the need for more motivation of countries to fulfill their international obligations towards environmental issues. However, many governments consider the threat of climate change only within their geographical boundaries and have tried to formulate and implement green policies to advance their environmental protection goals. These policies include green financial policies (green taxes, green subsidies), monetary policies (such as green loans and green financing), and cultural and social policies in line with sustainable development. The ultimate goal of these green policies is a green economy, an environmentally friendly economy, a zero carbon economy, or a sustainable economy. Lee et al. ( 2022 ) define the green economy as a broad concept comprising green industry, agriculture, and services. Centobelli et al. ( 2022 ) express that environmental sustainability should be more attention in the service sector owing to its penetration into social life and interactions.

Tourism and travel-related services are among countries’ main parts of the service sector. By creating the flow of tourists, tourism services can lead to capital transfer, job creation, cultural exchange (globalization), and increasing welfare in the country hosting the tours. According to the Yearbook of Tourism Statistics published by the World Tourism Organization, international tourism has increased from 522.2 billion US dollars in 1995 to nearly 1.86 trillion US dollars in 2019. This increase shows the importance of tourism services in generating income for countries, especially in the era of Corona and post-corona. Casado-Aranda et al. ( 2021 ) express that tourism services can be a central driver of economic growth recovery in post COVID era. Jeyacheya and Hampton ( 2022 ) argue that tourism can make high incomes for host countries leading to job creation and economic flourishing in destination cities for tourists.

An important issue mentioned in the corona era and relies on the post-corona era is the revitalizing of green economic growth. An important issue mentioned in the corona era and relying on the post-corona era is the revitalizing green economic growth (Bai et al., 2022 ; Werikhe, 2022 ), an opportunity that countries should pay more attention to in order to rebuild their economic activities. In other words, countries should plan their return to economic prosperity with environmental issues in mind. To this end, the issue of tourism finds a branch called Ecotourism or sustainable tourism which has environmental concerns and tries to help countries to improve environmental protection policies. Ecotourism is an approach based on environmental criteria, which is opposed to over-tourism (a type of tourism that disrupts the protection of the environment and destroys natural resources). The International Ecotourism Society defines Ecotourism as an efficient way to conserve the environment and improve local people’s well-being. It can be said that Ecotourism, along with various economic advantages (income generation, job creation, globalization, poverty alleviation), will bring environmental protection to the world’s countries, achieving the goals of green economic growth recovery and sustainable development. Xu et al. ( 2022 ) consider Ecotourism as one of the essential components of achieving sustainable development in the post-corona era.

Ecotourism in developing countries has more priorities compared to developed economies. Firstly, developing countries are often countries with financial problems of the government, and the governments in these countries need more capital to advance sustainable development goals. Therefore, developing ecotourism services can be a suitable solution to help these countries improve the status of sustainable development indicators and protect their environment. Second, due to the spread of the Corona disease, developing countries have experienced numerous bankruptcy in the tourism services sector. Therefore, promoting ecotourism in these countries is of great importance in the post-corona era. Third, developing countries have a high share in the emission of greenhouse gases in the world due to their high dependence on fossil fuels and the lack of advanced green technologies. Fourth, due to bureaucratic processes, high cost, and lack of market transparency, greenwashing may happen in developing economies’ ecotourism industry, meaning that a company serving ecotourism services makes its activities seem more sustainable and ethical than they are. The term “greenwashing” can harshly impact the future development path of the ecotourism industry in developing economies. According to the reasons mentioned above, developing ecotourism in developing countries can be an essential factor in controlling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in these countries.

This paper tries to contribute to the existing literature from the following aspects:

Calculating the ecotourism index for selected countries based on the criteria for measuring sustainable tourism stated by the World Tourism Organization in the United Nations. Considering that there is no specific index for ecotourism, the calculation of ecotourism in this article will be innovative.

Measuring the green governance index as a proxy for environmental policies for selected countries based on the Environment Social and Governance (ESG) data.

Selecting a sample of 40 developing countries from different geographical regions to calculate the interconnections between ecotourism, green governance, and climate change

Making a further discussion to address the role of uncertainty and the developing level of countries in the relationship between ecotourism and explanatory variables.

The main results confirm the existence of a uni-directional causal relationship running from the green governance indicator and inflation rate to the ecotourism indicator. In addition, with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. A 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries accelerates ecotourism by 0.32%.

Moreover, ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to macroeconomic variables changes than in developed economies. Geopolitical risk is an influential factor in the developing process of ecotourism. The practical policies recommended by this research are developing the green financing market, establishing virtual tourism, granting green loans to small and medium enterprises, and government incentives to motivate active businesses.

The paper in continue is organized as follows: section “Literature review” provides a short literature review to determine the gaps this research seeks to fill. Section “Data and model specification” argues data and model specification. The following section represents empirical results. Section “Discussion” expresses discussion, whereas the last section provides conclusions, policy implications, research limitations, and recommendations to research further.

Literature review

This part of the article analyzes and classifies the previous literature on ecotourism and sustainable development in a rational and structured way. The importance of tourism in economic growth and development has been discussed in previous studies. However, the study of the effect of tourism on climate change has received little attention. Especially the relationship between sustainable tourism, climate change, and environmental policies is a problem that has yet to receive the attention of academic experts.

A group of previous studies has focused on the place of tourism in economic development and growth. Holzner ( 2011 ) focused on the consequences of tourism development on the economic performance of 134 countries from 1970 to 2007. They found out that excessive dependence on tourism income leads to Dutch disease in the economy, and other economic sectors need to develop to the extent of the tourism sector. In another study, Sokhanvar et al. ( 2018 ) investigated the causal link between tourism and economic growth in emerging economies from 1995 to 2014. The main results confirmed that the linkage is country-dependent. Brida et al. ( 2020 ) studied 80 economies from 1995 to 2016 to determine how tourism and economic development are related. The paper’s conclusions highlighted tourism’s-positive role in economic activities.

Another group of previous studies has linked tourism to sustainability targets. Sorensen and Grindsted ( 2021 ) expressed that nature tourism development has a positive and direct impact on achieving sustainable development goals of countries. In a new study, Li et al. ( 2022 ) studied the impacts of tourism development on life quality (as one of the sustainable development goals defined by the UN in 2015) in the case of Japan. They found that tourism development positively impacts the quality of life of age groups in the country. Ahmad et al. ( 2022 ) explored the role of tourism in the sustainability of G7 economies from 2000–2019. The primary findings revealed the positive impact of tourism arrivals on sustainable economic development. Zekan et al. ( 2022 ) investigated the impact of tourism on regional sustainability in Europe. They concluded that tourism development increases transport, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, tourism development causes environmental pollution.

Tourism that can pay attention to environmental issues is called “ecotourism.” Many new studies have studied different dimensions of ecotourism. Lu et al. ( 2021 ) expanded the concept of the ecotourism industry. The significant results expressed that smart tourist cities are essential for efficient ecotourism in countries. Thompson ( 2022 ) expressed the characteristics of ecotourism development through survey methodology. The results confirmed the importance of transparent regulations, government support, and social intention to promote ecotourism. In another study, Heshmati et al. ( 2022 ) employed the SWOT analysis method to explore the critical success factors of ecotourism development in Iran. They found that legal documentation and private participation are major influential factors in promoting ecotourism in Iran. In line with the previous research, Hosseini et al. ( 2021 ) tried to explore the influential factors in promoting ecotourism in Iran by employing a SWOT analysis. They depicted that attracting investors is essential to enhance ecotourism projects in Iran. Hasana et al. ( 2022 ) reviewed research to analyze the earlier studies about ecotourism. The conclusions expressed that ecotourism is necessary for environmental protection. However, it is a challenging plan for the government, and they should carry out various policies toward ecotourism development. Kunjuraman et al. ( 2022 ) studied the role of ecotourism on rural community development in Malaysia. The significant results confirmed that ecotourism could transfer-positive impacts.

Several earlier studies have concentrated on the characteristics of ecotourism in different developed and developing economies. For example, Ruhanen ( 2019 ) investigated the ecotourism status in Australia. The paper concluded that the country could potentially make a larger share of ecotourism to the entire local tourism industry. Jin et al. ( 2022 ) studied the role of local community power on green tourism in Japan. They concluded that the concept of agricultural village activity and regional support positively influences the development of green tourism in Japan as a developed economy. Choi et al. ( 2022 ) sought to find aspects of ecotourism development in South Korea. The preliminary results confirmed the importance of green governance and efficient regulation to promote a sustainable tourism industry. Baloch et al. ( 2022 ) explored the ecotourism specifications in the developing economy of Pakistan. They found that Pakistan’s ecotourism needs government support and the social well-being of the visited cities. Sun et al. ( 2022 ) studied ecotourism in China. They concluded that there is imbalanced development of ecotourism among Chinese provinces due to the need for more capital to invest in all ecotourism projects throughout the Chinese cities. Tajer and Demir ( 2022 ) analyzed the ecotourism strategy in Iran. They concluded that despite various potentials in the country, insufficient capital, lack of social awareness, and political tension are the major obstacles to promoting a sustainable tourism industry in Iran.

Another group of earlier studies has drawn attention to promoting eco-tourism in the post COVID era. They believe that the corona disease has created an excellent opportunity to pay more attention to environmental issues and that countries should move towards sustainable development concepts such as sustainable (eco) tourism in the post-corona era. Soliku et al. ( 2021 ) studied eco-tourism in Ghana during the pandemic. The findings depicted the vague impacts of a pandemic on eco-tourism. Despite the short-term negative consequence of the pandemic on eco-tourism, it provides various opportunities for developing this sector in Ghana. Hosseini et al. ( 2021 ) employed the Fuzzy Dematel technique to find solutions for promoting eco-tourism during COVID-19. They found out that planning to increase the capacity of eco-tourism and incentive policies by governments can help promote the eco-tourism aspect under the pandemic’s consequences. Abedin et al. ( 2022 ) studied the consequence of COVID-19 on coastal eco-tourism development. The primary findings confirmed the negative impacts of a pandemic on the development of eco-tourism.

A review of previous studies shows that tourism can positively impact green growth and sustainable development. Sustainable tourism can be used as a policy to deal with the threat of climate change. This issue needs more attention in the corona and post-corona eras. Because in the post-corona era, many countries have sought to revive green economic growth, and ecotourism can be one of the tools to achieve it. As observed, a detailed study of the relationship between climate change, ecotourism, and environmental policies has yet to be done. Therefore, this research will address and fill this literature gap.

Data and model specification

Data description.

The paper seeks to find the relationship between climate change, ecotourism, and environmental policy for the panel of 40 developing economies from different regions from 2010 to 2021 (480 observations). The sample size could have been more extensive due to the lack of information on some variables. However, there are 480 observations in the data analysis of the data panel; therefore, the number of samples selected is acceptable.

To determine the proxies for main variables, CO2 emissions per capita are selected as the proxy for climate change. Many earlier studies (e.g., Espoir et al., 2022 ) have employed this variable as an appropriate variable representing the status of climate change. Regarding ecotourism, the World Tourism Organization proposed some measurements of sustainable tourism, and also following Yusef et al. ( 2014 ), the entropy weight method is employed to calculate a multi-dimensional ecotourism indicator comprising per capita green park area (square meters), gross domestic tourism revenue (US dollars), the ratio of good air quality (%), green transport, renewable water resources (km3) and deforestation rate (%). It is a novel ecotourism indicator that can show the ecotourism status in countries.

In addition, the green governance index is calculated as a proxy for environmental policy. Principally, the Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) data from World Bank are gathered to calculate this variable. With the improvement of the Green Governance Index, the quality of environmental policies will also increase, and vice versa. With the adverseness of the Green Governance Index, the efficiency of environmental policies will decrease.

Regarding control variables, the inflation rate as an influential factor in tourism flows is selected. The importance of this variable to promoting/declining tourism flows has been drawn to attention by some earlier studies, such as Liu et al. ( 2022 ). The inflation rate can raise the total cost of travel, causing a reduction in tourism flows, while any reduction in the inflation rate can increase the intention of tourists to travel. In addition, the KOF globalization index provided by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute is another control variable. A country with a higher degree of globalization means more readiness to accept tourists from countries with different cultures and religions.

Model specification

According to the variables mentioned above, 40 examined developing countries from 2010 to 2021, the panel co-integration model can be written as Eq. 1 :

ETOR indicates the ecotourism index, while CO2, GGI, INF, and GLOB denote Carbon dioxide emissions per capita, green governance index, inflation rate, and globalization index, respectively. i is 1,2,…,40 and shows examined developing economies, while t is time and contains 2010, 2011,..,2021.

Prior to the estimation of coefficients of Eq. 1 , the panel unit root tests are employed to find out whether the series is stationary. To this end, three tests of LLC (Levin et al., 2002 ), Breitung’s test ( 2000 ), and the PP-Fisher test (Philips and Perron, 1988 ). If all the variables are stationary at the first level of difference (I(1)), a panel co-integration test can be conducted to explore whether the model is spurious. To this end, Kao’s co-integration test ( 1999 ) and Pedroni’s residual co-integration test ( 2004 ) are conducted. If the co-integration relationship exists among variables, the panel causality test can be run to determine the causal linkages among variables. In this paper, the two steps of Engle and Granger (1987)‘s test, which is based on the error correction model (ECM) is used as Eqs. 2 – 6 :

In the above Equations, Δ is the first differences of variables, while θ and ECT represent the fixed country effect and error correction term.

The next step is the long-run panel co-integration estimations. To this end, Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) and Dynamic OLS (DOLS) as robustness checks are conducted, which are two famous panel co-integration estimators (Rasoulinezhad, 2018 ). The FMOLS estimator has various advantages. It allows serial correlation, endogeneity, and cross-sectional heterogeneity (Erdal and Erdal, 2020 ).

Empirical results

In this section, we will implement the experimental research model. The purpose of implementing an econometric model based on panel data is to find the effects of green governance variables and carbon dioxide emissions on ecotourism. As the first step, the panel unit root tests are conducted. The results are reported in Table 1 as follows:

According to Table 1 , all three-panel unit root tests depict that all series are non-stationary at the level and become stationary after a first difference. Next, the panel co-integration tests are conducted, and their results are represented in Tables 2 and 3 :

The two-panel co-integration tests’ findings confirm the presence of co-integration linkages among variables.

The panel causality test studies the short-term and long-term causal relationship among variables. Table 4 reports the results of the panel causality check as follows:

According to Table 4 , there is a uni-directional causal relationship between the green governance indicator and the inflation rate of the ecotourism indicator. At the same time, there is a bi-directional causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and ecotourism indicators, confirming the existence of the feedback effect. In addition, there is only short-term causality from the green governance indicator to carbon dioxide emissions. In contrast, ecotourism and the globalization index have a uni-directional causal linkage. In the short term, improving ecotourism can cause globalization and reduce carbon emissions in developing economies. Regarding the long-term causality, it can be concluded that the ECT of ecotourism, green governance index, and globalization index are statistically significant. These three variables are major adjustment variables when the system departs from equilibrium.

In the last stage, the long-run estimations are done through FMOLS and DOLS estimators. Table 5 lists the results of the estimations by these two-panel co-integration estimators:

Based on FMOLS estimation, it can be concluded that the Green Governance index has a positive and significant coefficient in such a way that with a 1% improvement in the green governance index of developing countries, the ecotourism of these countries will increase by 0.43%. By improving the state of green governance, the quality of formulated and implemented green policies in these countries will increase, improving the conditions of ecotourism development. This finding aligns with Agrawal et al. ( 2022 ) and Debbarma and Choi ( 2022 ), who believe that green governance is essential to sustainable development. In the case of carbon dioxide emissions, the coefficient of this variable is not statistically significant. In other words, the variable of carbon dioxide emissions per capita has no significant effect on ecotourism in developing countries. The inflation rate has a significant negative effect on ecotourism. With a 1% increase in the general prices of goods and services in developing countries, ecotourism will decrease by 0.34%. This finding aligns with Rahman ( 2022 ), who showed a negative relationship between inflation and sustainable development in their research. An increase in inflation means an increase in the total cost of a tourist’s trip to the destination country, inhibiting the growth of tourist services.

Regarding the globalization variable, this variable has a significant positive effect on the ecotourism of developing countries. With a 1% increase in the globalization index of these countries, ecotourism will increase by 0.32%. Globalization means more interaction with the world’s countries, acceptance of different cultures and customs, more language learning in society, more acceptance of tourism, and development of tourist services in the country. This finding is consistent with the results of Akadiri et al. ( 2019 ), who confirmed that globalization is one of the crucial components in tourism development.

The DOLS estimator was also used to ensure the obtained findings’ validity. The results of this method are shown in Table 5 . The signs of the coefficients are consistent with the results obtained by the FMOLS method. Therefore, the validity and reliability of the obtained coefficients are confirmed.

In this section, we will briefly discuss the relationship between ecotourism and climate change and the environmental policy considering the uncertainty and the relationship between variables in developed and developing countries.

Consideration of uncertainty

Uncertainty as a primary reason for risk has become a research issue in recent decades. Uncertainty can make the future unpredictable and uncontrollable, affecting economic decision-making. Regarding tourism, the impacts of uncertainty have been drawn to attention by several earlier studies (e.g., Dutta et al., 2020 ; Das et al., 2020 ; and Balli et al., 2019 ; Balli et al., 2018 ). In general, uncertainty in the tourism industry reflects tourists’ concerns and consumption habits in the way that by increasing uncertainty, it is expected that tourists make sense of risks and postpone their tourism activities, and vice versa; in the sphere of certainties, the various risks are clear, and tourists can make rational decisions for their tourism plans and activities. In order to explore the impacts of uncertainties on eco-tourism of the examined developing economies, the geopolitical risk index (GPR) as a proxy for economic policy uncertainty index is gathered and added as a control variable to Eq. 1 . The estimations results by FMOLS are reported in Table 6 as follows.

According to Table 6 , the uncertainty (geopolitical risk) has a negative coefficient meaning that with a 1% increase in geopolitical risk, the eco-tourism industry in the examined developing countries decreases by approximately 0.69%. The signs of coefficients of other variables align with the earlier findings, represented in Table 5 . In addition, the magnitude of the impact of geopolitical risk is larger than the impacts of other variables highlighting the importance of lower geopolitical risk in these economies to reach sustainable tourism targets.

Difference in developed and developing economies

Considering the different structures and financial power of these two groups of countries, the relationship between the variables mentioned in these two groups is expected to be different. In the previous section, the results for the group of developing countries showed that the Green Governance index has a positive and significant coefficient. In the case of carbon dioxide emissions, the coefficient of this variable is not statistically significant. The inflation rate has a significant negative effect on ecotourism. Regarding the globalization variable, it can be mentioned that this variable has a significant positive effect on the ecotourism of developing countries. In order to analyze the relationship between variables in the developed countries, the top 10 countries with the highest HDI in 2021 are selected (Switzerland (0.962), Norway (0.961), Iceland (0.959), Hong Kong (0.952), Australia (0.951), Denmark (0.948), Sweden (0.947) and Ireland (0.945)). The selected variables, explained in section “Data and model specification”, are collected from 2010 to 2021. The panel unit root tests confirmed that all series are non-stationary at the level and become stationary after a first difference. In addition, the presence of co-integration linkages among variables is revealed by the panel co-integration test. The panel co-integration estimator of FMOLS is employed to study the long-term relationship among variables. The findings are reported in Table 7 as follows:

According to the estimated coefficients, the green governance indicator positively and statistically significantly impacts ecotourism in the examined developed economies. However, the magnitude of the impact of this variable is more considerable for developing countries because these countries have more imbalances in markets and regulations. Therefore, the presence of good green tourism can have a more positive effect on advancing the goal of ecotourism. Contrary to the findings of developing countries, carbon dioxide emission in developed countries has a negative and significant effect, meaning that with an increase of 1% in carbon dioxide in developed countries, the level of ecotourism becomes more unfavorable by 0.034%. Moreover, inflation and globalization variables have significant negative and positive coefficients, respectively. However, the magnitudes of these two variables’ coefficients are also higher in developing countries. Ecotourism in developing countries is more sensitive to changes in macroeconomic variables such as green governance, globalization, and inflation.

Another difference between eco-tourism in developed and developing economies may be interpreted through the term “greenwashing,” introduced by Westerveld in 1986 (Maichum et al., 2016 ). In developing countries, due to the economic structure, limited knowledge, bureaucratic process, lack of legal eco-certification, and imperfect competition, a company involved in the eco-tourism industry makes an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into accepting the company’s services are in line with environmental protection policies. Hence, green governance in developing countries should have another role in regulating the eco-tourism market to lower the threat of greenwashing in eco-tourism services.

Conclusions and policy recommendations

Concluding remarks.

The findings of econometric modeling revealed the relationship between environmental policies, climate change, and ecotourism. Based on the findings of the econometric model, the following conclusions can be presented:

A uni-directional causal relationship runs from the green governance indicator and inflation rate to the ecotourism indicator, which means that any changes in green governance and inflation rate cause changes in ecotourism, which is vital for developing economies where governance and inflation rate are two crucial issues.

There is a bi-directional causal relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and ecotourism indicators, confirming the existence of the feedback hypothesis, expressing that in developing economies, any policies related to ecotourism cause changes in CO2 emissions and vice versa.

There is only short-term causality from the green governance indicator to carbon dioxide emissions, whereas there is a uni-directional causal linkage from ecotourism to the globalization index. In other words, in the short term, improving ecotourism can cause globalization and reduce carbon emissions in developing economies.

By improving green governance in developing economies, the quality of formulated and implemented green policies in these countries will increase, improving the conditions of ecotourism development.

An increase in the inflation rate raises the total cost of a tourist’s trip to developing economies, inhibiting the growth of eco-tourist services.

Globalization means more interaction with the world’s countries, acceptance of different cultures and customs, more language learning in society, more acceptance of tourism, and development of tourist services in developing countries.

Policy implications

In order to achieve the promotion of ecotourism in developing countries, the implementation of integrated and effective strategic and practical policies is of great importance. According to the concluding remarks mentioned, practical policies are presented as follows for enhancing ecotourism in developed countries. The development of ecotourism requires the improvement of various infrastructures and mechanisms, which depends on the implementation of projects related to ecotourism in developing countries. Because most countries do not have enough financial power to invest in such projects, developing the green financing market can be one of the critical practical solutions. The green financing tool can increase the investment risk and return on investment in such projects, and as a result, the participation of the private sector in these projects will increase. With information and communication technology development, virtual tourism can solve many environmental issues related to human physical presence. Virtual tourism is one of the branches of tourism services that provide people with destinations, places of interest, and tourist attractions with full quality but in virtual form. Another practical policy is granting green loans to small and medium enterprises active in ecotourism. Despite the organizational agility, these companies do not have the significant financial power to develop different sectors of ecotourism; therefore, the cooperation of the banking industry of developing countries by providing green loans (with low-interest rates) can motivate small and medium-sized companies in the field of activities related to ecotourism. Government incentives to motivate businesses active in ecotourism and government deterrent policies (green tax) from businesses active in the field of tourism to lead them to increase the share of ecotourism in their activities can be a proper operational strategy. In developing countries, the role of government and green governance is vital in advancing the goals of ecotourism. By improving the level of its green governance, the government can create efficient policies, regulations, and social tools to create motivation and desire to accept ecotourism, an essential and undeniable issue in developing societies. Creating a guarantee fund for ecotourism companies in developing countries is another practical policy to support these companies financially. Guarantee funds can be established with the participation of the people of ecotourism destinations in order to strengthen the financial strength of ecotourism companies in these destinations.

Limitations and recommendations to further research

This research had a practical and innovative contribution to the literature on ecotourism in developing countries. The findings obtained from the econometric model analysis provided appropriate practical and strategic policies to the policymakers of countries interested in the development of ecotourism. However, access to data related to the ecotourism index and sustainable development of developing countries due to the lack of community in a specific database is considered one of the critical limitations of this research. This limitation caused many developing countries to be excluded from the research sample, which may have created a deviation in the research. Adding more countries to the test sample in future research is suggested to obtain complete and accurate results. Also, due to the outbreak of the Corona pandemic at the end of 2019 and the Russia-Ukraine war since the beginning of 2022, it is suggested that these two variables be included in the econometric model as an illusion in order to analyze their effects on the ecotourism of the countries of the world. Using other econometric methods, such as artificial neural networks, is suggested to model ecotourism in different countries. Complex modeling by taking into account trends and trends to predict the relationship between variables in the future will be an essential step in formulating effective programs in ecotourism.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Shang, Y., Bi, C., Wei, X. et al. Eco-tourism, climate change, and environmental policies: empirical evidence from developing economies. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10 , 275 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01777-w

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5 Getaways That Reinvent Eco-Tourism

From the Columbia River Gorge to the Chesapeake Bay, these retreats provide educational and volunteer experiences for travelers not only wanting to reconnect with nature, but to give back.

By Lauren Matison

Hotels and glamping sites touting sustainability practices and nature-based activities have proliferated throughout the United States in the last decade, finding financial success by offering guests a let-nature-nurture-you wellness experience.

But many of these destinations have targeted only luxury travelers, and focused on an ethos of self-improvement. Now a growing number of hospitality entrepreneurs are working with or employing naturalists and scientists to reinvent eco-tourism by championing an outward, altruistic kind of outdoor therapy — regenerative tourism initiatives such as trail building and oyster reef restoration opportunities — as well as climate-change education.

“Having sustainability or ‘eco’ experiences perceived as ‘cool’ may help shift cultural perspectives in the long run,” said Leah Thomas , a climate justice activist and the author of “ The Intersectional Environmentalist .” Ms. Thomas says engaging travelers just one time in habitat restoration work or an environmental class can teach them to care about the planet.

Here are five affordable retreats that aim to inspire community activism and a more sustainable lifestyle.

Thatcher, Idaho

Maple Grove Hot Springs & Retreat Center

At the Maple Grove Hot Springs & Retreat Center, in southeast Idaho, guests can enjoy a soak in one of six thermal pools, but many also sign up for invasive plant removal, trail development or tree planting.

“We want guests from all walks of life to strike that perfect balance of rest, work, learning, thinking, sharing, laughing and exploring. The marriage of those creates a very transformative experience,” said Jordan Menzel, the founder of Maple Grove.

Powered by solar and hydro sources, the off-grid, 45-acre Maple Grove is currently working to become the world’s first B Corporation-certified hot springs, Mr. Menzel said. (The designation requires a certification of social and environmental performance). The retreat, opened in 2019, has stone shelters, yurts and cabins (nightly rates from $170), as well as walk-in tents and camper-van sites ($45). The center provides kayaks and river tubes at the beach, and concerts and outdoor movies by the pool, as well as foraging hikes, workshops on composting and managing a home garden, and cold plunges in the river.

To honor the Northwestern Band of Shoshone people who made their winter home on the Bear River, Maple Grove hosts a quarterly storytelling event led by a Shoshone tribal elder. Mr. Menzel also recently launched a conservation organization, Oneidanarrows.org , to stop a proposed dam on a nearby waterway.

Multiple locations

In 2017, after feeling ostracized at several national parks, Evelynn Escobar, a Black and Indigenous second-generation Guatemalan American, created Hike Clerb, an intersectional women’s hiking club and nonprofit committed to equitable access in the outdoors. (Clerb, she said, is slang referring to any type of club.) Ms. Escobar designs day and overnight experiences that balance healing in nature with land restoration projects and activities that encompass cultural heritage and decolonization education.

Ms. Escobar has hosted 77 free and low-cost meet-ups so far where participants have gathered not only to hike — and clean up trash along the trail — but to bike, surf, fish, farm and more. In California, the Hike Clerb community planted 100 oak trees in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area and worked with Heal the Bay nonprofit to clean up the historically Black beach, Bruce’s Beach, now known as Manhattan Beach.

“The concept of these trips is bringing Black and brown facilitators and participants together to restore a place,” Ms. Escobar said. “As we are taking care of the land, it’s taking care of us.”

In fall 2022, Ms. Escobar created a two-night overnight retreat called Night Clerb at Ace Hotel Palm Springs ($300). This year and next, Night Clerb events will take place in Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii and Yosemite National Park.

“People are craving opportunities to visit places as stewards versus tourists,” Ms. Escobar said. “When you feel connected to a place and have respect for it, you respect yourselves in that place, too. In that way, it’s a luxury experience.”

Irvington, Va.

The Tides Inn

The Tides Inn sits on the Carter’s Creek tributary of Chesapeake Bay, which produces around 500 million pounds of seafood annually. Since before the hotel opened in 1947, pollution and over-harvesting have been decimating the population of oysters, a keystone species for all marine life. In summer 2021, Tides Inn completed a $3.6 million shoreline restoration project that has since allowed oyster reefs to make a comeback, with help from a steady stream of guests.

The inn’s resident ecologist, Will Smiley, has been leading volunteer experiences for the last three years, including a popular one that repopulates baby oysters.

“As of January 2024, we have grown and planted over one million oysters,” said Mr. Smiley, noting that sea horses are returning to the area, a great bio-indicator. By planting oysters, which feed on the creek’s overabundance of algae (partly because of lawn-chemical runoff), the inn is also helping revive sea grass beds that are known to remove excess nutrients and maintain a healthy ecosystem.

The 70-room resort (nightly rates from $249) offers activities on and off the water, from kayaking and paddle-board yoga to pickleball and a pool and spa. But the heart of the inn is its boardwalk, which curves around 13,000 feet of shoreline and was designed as an outdoor museum with signs about the restoration project, local species and native plants. Family-friendly programming includes birding walks, beekeeping, blue crab ecology tours and pollinator garden lessons with the inn’s horticulturist, Matt Little. An off-site volunteer excursion ($200 per person), benefiting the river nonprofit Friends of Rappahannock , pairs a picnic with planting trees and wetland grasses.

“Just make your world the world,” said Mr. Smiley as he walked along a new 6.2-mile nature trail on the inn’s rewilded golf course. “If you make small daily changes like curbing waste and ditching plastic, you’ll feel good.”

Deep River, Ontario

Anupaya Cabin Co.

“I think the climate crisis can cause people to feel such paralysis, like it’s almost too little, too late,” said Shannon MacLaggan, who created Anupaya Cabin Co., with her husband, Pete, as a wilderness retreat and incubator for climate action in 2021. “There are massive esoteric concepts about how to tackle global warming, but this is something tangible and applicable.”

The 12-acre property (nightly rates from $232), along the upper Ottawa River, has a lodge, private beach and eight renovated cabins, each with a kitchen, grill, fire pit and porch views of the Laurentian Mountains. Anupaya invites every guest — inner-city youth groups receive a 50 percent room discount — to join the environmental movement in whatever way they can.

That might mean participating in cleanups through the hotel’s One Pound Promise initiative (60,000 pounds of waste have been collected so far), foraging workshops, planting fruit trees and berry bushes, or learning to grow and harvest food in the garden, where guests are often found pulling invasive plants and picking salad ingredients. Visitors can also work on trail management projects with the local Friends of Rivière du Moine nonprofit, or do trail maintenance at nearby Four Seasons Conservancy . “The whole reason we started Anupaya is to remind people how a part of nature we all are,” Ms. MacLaggan said. “If you love something, you feel a sense of responsibility toward it.”

Anupaya is introducing more formal volunteer opportunities in 2024. The Sustainable Saturdays initiative, to run from May to November, will offer free two-hour educational sessions on composting, starting a medicinal garden, raising chickens and more.

Mosier, Ore.

Fir Haven Retreats

This August, the restoration ecologist Kieron Wilde plans to welcome the first guests to Fir Haven, a 20-acre, plastic-free property an hour outside Portland, on the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. Fir Haven will have A-frame cabins with kitchenettes (nightly rates from $115), platform tent sites ($50), E.V. chargers and an informal educational lab for environmental stewardship.

Mr. Wilde aims to create experiences “for people to be immersed in conservation,” he said, like planting Garry Oak trees, both as a fire suppression tool and to support a rich native habitat.

Fir Haven will offer a menu of volunteer projects and field trips for guests, working with nonprofit partners like Trail Keepers of Oregon .

“It was time to double-down on the non-extractive, regenerative travel movement, and inspire people to leave a positive impact together,” said Mr. Wilde, who previously worked for the Bureau of Land Management and started First Nature Tours, an eco-tour operator. Mr. Wilde said there will be plenty of traditional wellness activities, including yoga and forest bathing, as well as biking the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway or hiking at nearby Rowana Crest Viewpoint .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the name of a tree being planted in Oregon. It is the Garry oak, not Gerry oak. It also misstated the cause of algae overgrowth in the Chesapeake Bay. The overgrowth comes from runoff of lawn chemicals, not pesticides.

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Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

Italy :  Spend 36 hours in Florence , seeking out its lesser-known pockets.

Southern California :  Skip the freeways to explore the back roads between Los Angeles and Los Olivos , a 100-mile route that meanders through mountains, canyons and star-studded enclaves.

Mongolia : Some young people, searching for less curated travel experiences, are flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation .

Romania :  Timisoara  may be the most noteworthy city you’ve probably never heard of , offering just enough for visitors to fill two or three days.

India: A writer fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills , taking in the tea gardens and riding a train through the hills.

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

More From Forbes

Europe travel: 20 european cities ranked best green capitals 2022.

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Cityscape of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana at sunset.

Do you consider the “green credentials” of a place when you’re planning a trip?

Clean air, pure water, pedestrian-only streets, bike paths, parks, botanical gardens and other public green spaces, green trains, eco-hotels, rivers, lakes, hiking trails, good public transportation and quality vegetarian dining are all among the environmental strides towards sustainable tourism now implemented by some of the most beautiful capitals of the world.

In Europe, from Finland and Slovenia to Italy and France, many cities are making efforts to tackle the climate crisis and assume the lead on environmental action. Cities such as Grenoble and Budapest have mayors elected with eco-platforms and are leaders in sustainability projects. 

To determine its new list of 20 Best Green Capitals in Europe, the European Best Destinations (EBD) organization considered criteria including air and water quality, public transport with zero CO2 emissions, green spaces per inhabitant, percentage of people who walk, cycle or take public transport to work, quality of life and the number of kilometers of cycle paths.

It also included destinations awarded the title of  European Green Capital by the European Commission for Environment, as well as those designated as a European Destination of Excellence (Eden) by the European Commission. 

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Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, with the highest percentage of green space per inhabitant in Europe, has been ranked #1 European Best Green Capital.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, has been ranked #1 European Best Green Capital.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

The capital of Slovenia has not only been ranked the #1 European Green capital, it has also been the only capital in Europe to be included six times on the Sustainable Destination Top 100 list.

Among its eco-conscious offers, Ljubljana center has been car-free since 2008; it allows locals and visitors free access to a bike-share scheme for up to an hour at a time; and it has developed more than 542 square meters of green spaces including the Bee Trail, which takes in 4,500 hives placed around the city. 

A bike-friendly city, Ljubljana has more than 200 kilometers of cycle paths and at 70%, boasts the highest rate of household waste separation in the E.U.

Globally recognised for its commitment to sustainable tourism, Slovenia is the leading country and pioneer in green tourism in Europe. It’s the most-awarded destination by the European Commission for its sustainable tourism offer that features destinations such as  Bohinj ,  Soca Valley ,  Lasko ,  Idrija ,

Green Scandinavia 

Beautiful autumn landscape on Lake Haransilma in Lahti, Finland

Helsinki and Lahti, Finland

Helsinki: Even if the capital of Finland  has not yet been awarded the title of "European Green Capital”, its environmental commitment is recognized worldwide.

It’s the capital with the purest air and water in Europe and ranks second among European cities for the best quality of life.

Nature is everywhere and is accessible to people with reduced mobility or families with strollers.

Lahti: A warded this year the title of  European Green Capital by the European Commission Lahti  has carved out an environmentally-conscious identity.

Aiming to become Finland’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025 (with the whole country to follow by 2035), Lahti’s green initiatives range from an app for residents to track their individual carbon footprint to heating systems powered by recycled fuel, as well as local, FSC-certified wood.

The city, 60 miles north of Helsinki’s international airport and harbors, has also been ranked among the  best nature destinations in Europe  and  best sustainable destinations for outdoor sports .

Lahti is a gateway to the Finnish Lakeland – the largest in Europe. Finland has more than 188,000 lakes and the water is the cleanest in the world.

Three-quarters of Lahti is covered by forests, while 11% consists of bodies of water — and it’s only 2 1/2 hours by train from St. Petersburg.

In the summer, visitors can soak up the 24-hour sunlight on the harbor, which has been transformed from an industrial port to a thriving hub of restaurants and cafes.

Päijänne National Park, with its pristine waters, islands and birdlife, sits just on the city’s doorstep. 

Scenic summer aerial panorama of the Old Town in Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden

For years, the capital of Sweden appears among the greenest in Europe.

Now Stockholm also has been awarded the title of European Green Capital by the European Commission. With its air and water quality among Europe’s best, and more than 80% of the population commuting to work by public transport, bike or on foot, the city stands out as a destination combining both city break and nature holiday.

Parks and gardens are many and include Djurgarden Park, a tranquil oasis in the heart of the city, "Marabouparken and its collection of sculptures and exhibitions of contemporary art, the Royal National City park considered the green lung of Stockholm and the Kungstradgarden Park established in 1400 in the heart of the capital, open all year round but most recommended from March to early May when the  cherry trees are in bloom .

Copenhagen's colourful houses on background in Nyhavn district.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen  is also ranked as one of the greenest cities in Europe by independent, private organizations, while the European Commission awarded it the European Green Capital prize.

Denmark’s capital is on track to be carbon neutral by 2025 and the country has redirected its energy sources to meet 95% of its needs by hydropower.

Copenhagen  is second only to Bern, Switzerland, among the destinations with the happiest populations in the world.

As you stroll the many parks and botanical garden, don’t miss a short trip to the “Deer Park" located in Dyrehaven.

Oslo, Norway

The capital of Norway  is surrounded by the Marka Forest and the famous Olso Fjords.

Nature is everywhere and is particularly well preserved in Oslo — see for yourself on a kayak or canoe trip to discover the nature that surrounds this green city.

Like  Braga  in Portugal, Olso is committed to becoming one of the cities with zero CO2 emissions and has halved its emissions between 1990 and 2020.

More than three quarters of residents go to work on foot, by bicycle or in zero-emission public transport.

Nijmegen and Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Nijmegen, the Netherlands’ oldest city

An example of urban living, Nijmegen , the Netherlands’ oldest city and near the German border, was already declared European Green Capital in 2018 for promoting a happier, healthier lifestyle for its citizens.

Like Braga and Bern, the city is committed to becoming energy neutral and appears among the best sustainable tourism destinations in the world, making it to The Times list for its sustainability efforts in local development and ecology.

Also designated as the  best destination to visit in the Netherlands , it’s frequently recommended as a great city to settle in, establish a start-up or a professional or personal life project.

With one of the best qualities of life in Europe, Nijmegen is establishing itself as a must-see destination in Europe.

The capital of the  Netherlands  suffered from over-tourism in the early 2010s and joined with other popular destinations such as  Paris  and  Bruges  to promote sustainable tourism.

With more ecological means of transport such as cycling, public transport as well as many parks in the heart of the capital, it has established itself in recent years as one of the best green capitals in Europe.

Bicycling is the preferred means of transport in Amsterdam for locals and tourists alike. It’s not only environmental-friendly but the fastest way to get around, including day trips to destinations including the Zaanse Schans with its windmills, the traditional fishing village of Volendam and Haarlem with its amazing cathedral.

Want to escape the beaten track? Discover the  best hidden gems in the Netherlands  such as Uitdam and Veluwezoom National Park.

Bern, Switzerland one of the green capitals in Europe

Bern, Switzerland

Bern  stands out among Europe’s green capitals for the quality of life of its inhabitants, the best in Europe, ahead of  Copenhagen  and  Vienna .

The quality of water and air is also among the best in Europe and it offers its inhabitants and travelers a number of green spaces, parks and gardens in which to relax and reconnect with nature.

Bern was ranked among the best Christmas Markets in Europe and the  best Christmas markets in Switzerland . It’s also one of the  safest destinations in Europe .

Grenoble is a leading destinations in nature and sustainable tourism

Grenoble, France

Grenoble is ranked among the leading destinations in nature and sustainable tourism in  France for its hiking, climbing, skiing, biking, gourmet and wellness getaways offers.

The city favors slow travel, public transport, cycling and encourages local organic production of seasonal fruits and vegetables. For those reasons it is also one of the official  European Green Capitals 2022 .

Surrounded by mountains and beautiful forests, secret valleys and natural prairies, Grenoble is a favorite of nature lovers.

Grenoble city center is also rich in green spaces such as the Pompidou and Champs Elysées parks, the Parc des Dauphins pleasure gardens and the Botanical Garden.

There’s a large “Greeters” community that loves their city and will accompany visitors.

Courtyard of the masters in the historic center iof Tallinn, Estonia

Tallinn, Estonia

The historical capital of Estonia recently won the European Commission’s prestigious title of European Green Capital for 2023, awarded every year to raise awareness and share best practices on environmental issues in urban Europe and accompanied by a $710,000 fund to invest in green projects.

Tallinn is committed to a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030 and is on its way to net zero by 2050.

Tallinn already boasts titles among the  best Christmas Markets in Europ e and best medieval destinations in Europe .

Berlin, Oberbaum Bridge

Berlin, Germany

Berlin  is one of the brilliant stars of city breaks, not only as a cultural and  shopping destination  but also as a great destination for nature lovers.

Suitable for slow journeys such as cycling because it’s relatively flat and maintains safe cycle paths, the city offers beautiful parks considered among the best on the continent, as well as lakes, rivers and river beaches. As such, it’s also friendly to kayakers and paddle boarders.

Visitors can dive into the waters of Wannsee, Schlachtensee or Müggelsee and visit oases of greenery like the "Island of Youth," a small island close to Kreuzberg.

The Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) across the Danube River in Budapest.

Budapest, Hungary

The star of the show in Budapest is undoubtedly its magnificent river, the Danube.

Some 75% of its population walks, bikes or takes public transportation to work — a fact that helped make Budapest  one of the Best Green Capitals in Europe. 

National Geographic has selected Budapest as one of the five most forward-thinking green cities.

Margaret Island serves as the capital's largest park. In summer, the city’s Margaret Island hosts one of the  best Summer Festivals , the Margaret Island Open-Air Stage.

Vienna and  Bratislava  are located less than two hours away by train.

Vienna, Austria

Ranked among the  safest cities in Europe ,  Vienna  has also earned the title of European Best Green Capital.

The city appears on many of Europe’s Top 10 Greenest cities lists.

It also has first position for the quality of its water and is among the top three European cities for ecological travel, with more than 80% of its population commuting to work by public transport, on foot or by bike.

Consider visiting  Bratislava  and Budapest as well during the same trip. The three capitals are only 2 hours from each other by train.

Madrid, Spain

Because, among other reasons, 80% of its population commutes to work by public transport, bicycle or on foot,  Madrid  is now in the list of Best Green Capitals in Europe.

The Spanish capital is home to one of the  most beautiful city parks in Europe : El Retiro, the city’s ‘green lung’ and a meeting place for lovers and families who enjoy a boat trip on the lake and a slow stroll through its green paths.

Atocha train station, considered one of the  most beautiful stations in Europe and appearing more like a  botanical garden  than a train station, is a must-see.

Madrid is also ranked among the  Best Erasmus destinations in Europe  and  Best sunny Christmas destinations in Europe

Prague, one of the greenest cities in Europe

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague  is also among the Greenest cities in Europe by many rankings - a laudable effort by the city since the dark days of its historical past.

With an economy highly dependant on tourism, the Czech capital is rebounding from the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions with new strategies to control the over-tourism excesses that beset it and with programs to attract tourists for its history, architecture and culture more than for partying. 

The air in Prague now is three times cleaner than in  Brussels  or  Madrid and 75% of its population commutes to work by bicycle, on foot or by public transport.

Prague is also often ranked high among European cities with the best quality of life.

Its most beautiful parks and gardens including Riegrovy Sady Park, Stromovka Park and the Botanicka Zahrada are highly praised by visitors. 

Prague Christmas market is ranked among the most beautiful in Europe.

Brussels, Belgium

In addition to fame for its Atomium, Manneken Pis, Grand-Place, chocolate, waffles and fries, Brussels  is one of the greenest European capitals.

Dozens of parks and gardens take up more than 40% of the territory. Royal Park, Parc du Cinquantenaire, Leopold Park, the Etangs d'Ixelles, the Sonian forest, Astrid Park and the Meise botanical garden are frequently mentioned.

From Brussels, it’s an easy hop to Namur ,  Ghent ,  Bruges and  Dinant .

Paris, France

With restaurants that use local produce, organic food markets, responsible shops, green spaces, bike paths and pedestrian zones, Paris is constantly coming up with new ways to improve the environment and make the city a green tourism destination

For nearly two decades,  Paris  has been committed to becoming green with less energy-consuming housing for its most disadvantaged populations, traffic control, and many new green spaces such as the famous "Coulée Verte" which runs through part of the 12th arrondissement and enables walks through green spaces on an old disused railway line.

France’s capital features legendary gardens that have seen queens and kings, courtiers and courtesans, rebellious students, lovers and broken hearts. The Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc Monceau and the "Coulée Verte René-Dumont" are on the must-see list.

London, Great Britain

The #1 shopping destination in the world,  London for some is a pure city break destination and a destination for business trips, exhibitions and fairs.

Although the British capital might not be the first to come to mind when thinking of green cities, it’s credited as one of the greenest due, among other reasons, to its drastic measures to fight pollution and its plans to become carbon-free within the next decade.

The city features many green spaces in the form of parks, nature reserves and wildlife habitats.

The English, along with the French and the Japanese, invented their own style of gardens. English gardens developed in the 18th-century originated as a revolt against the architectural garden, which relied on rectilinear patterns, sculpture and the unnatural shaping of trees (unlike French gardens) and favors a countryside-like nature that represents an extension of the landscapes.

Richmond Park, created in the 17th century to accommodate still-numerous wild deer, is a favorite destination. It is the largest of London's Royal Parks and plays a vital role in the protection and conservation of wildlife.

Consider consulting the  best nature wonders in England .

A park in Moscow, one of Europe's best green capitals

Moscow, Russia

Often represented by its Red Square or its Orthodox churches that seem to emerge from a fairy tale, Moscow is ranked among the Best Green Capitals.

Almost two-thirds of its population goes to work on foot, by bicycle or by public transport and the Russian capital offers more than double the green space per inhabitant than Athens, for example, and 20 square meters per inhabitant of trees and shrubs.

Moscow was originally built among the forests of northeastern Russia and for that reason, according to World Atlas, 54% of Moscow’s territory is still covered by public parks and gardens.

Moscow regularly creates new natural spaces such as Zaryadye Park, established a few years ago and with its incredible views of St. Basil’s Cathedral, is perfectly integrated into the old historic center.

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UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

24th UNWTO General Assembly | Video Competition

30 November - 3 December 2021, Madrid - Spain

The 24th session of the General Assembly will feature the 5th edition of the UNWTO Tourism Video Competition .

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the relevance of multimedia communications within the new reality. The ongoing shift towards digitalization, changing viewer and user habits and the consolidation of mobile-first strategies have all accelerated since the pandemic broke. In addition, destinations around the world are preparing to restart tourism committed to seizing tourism’s unmatched contribution to people and planet.

The competition will feature two categories:

• Exceptional Stories of Tourism Resilience : This category looks for remarkable examples which showcase the importance of the human aspect of tourism as a sector and with a positive social impact that generates optimism and opportunities for all.
• Tourism Promotion and the Decade of Action . This category looks for remarkable examples of how Member Countries are linking their promotional videos either directly or indirectly to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through references to one or several of the 17 Global Goals.

One winning video will be chosen per region for both categories. This is an opportunity to position tourism as a key recovery sector to grow back better, stronger and building resilience.

Member States are encouraged to submit videos for both categories. Affiliate Members are encouraged to submit videos for the “ Exceptional Stories of Sustainable Tourism ” category.

The winners of the 5th edition of the UNWTO Tourism Video Competition will be announced during the 24th session of the General Assembly.

Exceptional Stories of Tourism Resilience

Traveling for happiness awards

Asociación empresarial hotelera de Madrid

Andros, Catch and Release, Fly Fishing

Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan

Cultural tourism, Gourmet cuisine & Wine

Conociendo la cultura Aymara

Cuba - Viñales

Mallorca en primer plano

Fundacio Mallorca Turisme

Georgia through the ages

Un Viaje Extraordinario

Grupo Ciudades Patrimonio de la Humanidad de España

Importancia del turismo para Guatemala

360 Hong Kong Moments

Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)

People of  Tamil Nadu' 

“Made in Moris” Discovery Tour

A Sustainable Destination

Get to know Moscow

Moscow City Tourism Committee

Sound of NEOM

Guías turísticos de comunidades ancestrales

Have A Safe Trip, Pinas

Philippines

Can´t Skip Tomorrow

Agrotourism Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Be Our Guest Again

Republic of Moldova

Live without frames

Experience Seychelles - Creole Rendezvous

Slovenian Gastronomy.

España sostenible

Seeds of Hope

The Read Sea Company

Turkaegean – Coast of Happiness

Tourism Promotion and the Decade of Action

A cultural cauldron, shaped by diversity

A Land of Love

Turismo em Natureza

Ce qui compte vraiment

Do something Great

Dion Sustainable Tourism Project, De l'oubli à la vie

Hungary has reopened

Jordan Kingdom of Time

Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2021

Macao, China

Branches Of Hope

Myanmar is awaiting you

Experience Oman

Opening up to the world and joining a decade of action

Saudi Arabia

Swisstainable

Switzerland

Viet Nam's Heritages

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No one traveled to this island 50 years ago. Now it's one of the hottest destinations.

When imagining paradise, the Maldives’ pristine beauty often comes to mind.

Powdery white sand reflects sunlight so brilliantly it feels like it's searing your pupils. The inviting turquoise water is crystal clear, showcasing fish swimming below the surface like a glass aquarium. You may even spot a baby blacktip shark hugging the shoreline if you're lucky. 

Spend a little time on #TravelTikTok or Instagram, and you’ll see endless videos and images of the Maldives and its iconic over-the-water villas, which put guests literally inches from the ocean. Resorts occupy entire islands, lending a sense of privacy and luxury desired by travelers.

The Maldives’ rapid rise to becoming a top travel bucket list destination only unfolded over the past 50 years – with no signs of slowing down. International tourism accounts for 58.3% of the economy, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council . (Following closely behind is fishing.) By 2033, it’s forecasted to make up nearly 60.7%.

The number of tourists visiting consistently surpasses previous records. In 2022, there were 1.68 million tourists, and in 2023, over 1.8 million tourists visited the country with just over half a million residents. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“The outlook for the Maldives tourism industry has never looked brighter, and we are confident that we can achieve the 2 million tourists target set for this year,” Fathmath Thaufeeq, CEO and Managing Director of Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation, told USA TODAY. 

Now recognized as a sought-after vacation spot, the country is focusing on preserving its beaches and coral reefs – primary factors drawing in visitors – amid climate change and increased human activity. 

“As the world's lowest-lying country, we are acutely aware of the crisis and its daily impacts,” said Thaufeeq. “Our very livelihood, heavily reliant on a thriving tourism industry, is inextricably linked to safeguarding our pristine environment.”

A ‘kept secret’ for decades

Before the 1970s, the Maldives – a remote archipelago comprising 1,192 islands in the Indian Ocean – was a “kept secret amongst the most adventurous travelers,” Thaufeeq said. There was essentially no tourism infrastructure. Many islands were uninhabited – to this day, around 1,004 remain so, only visited by locals for beach days and picnics. Local villages sustained themselves off of coconut and fishing. 

The country’s first official resort opened in 1972 by a Maldivian on a former coconut farm. It encompassed 30 rooms built of coral and limestone with palm thatch roofs. The resort was called Kurumba , meaning “coconut” in the local Dhivehi language. It was a rugged experience, with guests wading through water from the boat to the shore and not much to do besides fishing and enjoying the beach. Meals were served in canteens or during a beach barbecue. 

Despite this, the natural beauty of the Maldives was a complete hook, line, and sinker.

New resorts are continuously being developed to accommodate the growing number of visitors. Between 2023 and 2024, seven opened across the atolls, bringing the total number of operating resorts to 175, as the Ministry of Tourism reported. The government has played an active role in shaping the Maldives as a tourist hotspot.

While Russian and Chinese tourists have long dominated the market, more Americans are making the trek to the Maldives as interest in eco-tourism grows, Thaufeeq said. Sixty-four percent of Americans surveyed in Booking.com’s 2024 Travel Predictions said they look for sustainable accommodations.

Today’s resorts offer the same beloved beachside experience while pushing the boundaries of what they can offer to travelers.

Part of a Maldivian-owned Sun Siyam Resorts, the all-inclusive Siyam World offers guests more than they could ever imagine to stand out against the many other resorts. 

The 133-acre resort, which opened in 2021, offers the classic sunset cruise, snorkeling, and dolphin cruise excursions, as well as the Indian Ocean’s biggest floating water park and a FIFA-standard soccer field. Guests can also choose from water toys like flyboarding, e-surfing, and the self-proclaimed world’s first underwater jetpack. 

The face of the climate crisis

While frolicking in the water, some tourists may not realize the Maldives is grappling with a climate crisis. 

Sitting at an average of 3.77 feet above sea level, the Maldives is highly vulnerable to coastal erosion and rising sea levels. In 2018, scientists from the United States Geological Survey predicted that as much as 80% of the Maldives could be uninhabitable by 2050. The islands are particularly susceptible to flooding, droughts that affect freshwater access and storm surges. 

Nearly 45% of resorts have reported some kind of beach erosion, according to the 2015 Maldives Climate Change Policy Framework .

The country is moving swiftly to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. 

“From the very beginning, the Maldivian tourism industry has been rooted in sustainability,” Thaufeeq said, adding that nearly all tourist facilities embrace some sort of sustainability practice. 

In February, the Maldivian government partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development to launch the Ecotourism Framework and Roadmap , which designated 90 sites as protected and introduced eco-tourism certification. 

The roadmap joins a list of sustainability initiatives in action:

• Since 2022, there’s been a ban on single-use plastic like straws and bags. 
• Rich in sunshine, the country is hoping to become net-zero by 2030 , mainly through solar power. Solar projects are already underway at some resorts.
• The Maldives is also trying to convert solid waste into electricity to replace the former process of burning it on Thilafushi island by 2027. 

“In the breathtaking paradise of the Maldives, sustainable tourism isn't just a concept – it's a commitment to nurturing the very essence of these stunning islands,” said Erkaiym Tabyldieva, sustainability manager at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, a resort located in the Noonu Atoll. 

The resort received the International Sustainable Award by Luxury Lifestyle Awards in 2023. Not only are plastic bottles eliminated on-property via an in-house water bottling and filtration system, but the resort collaborates with nearby local islands to host educational workshops on sustainability and marine conservation for local youth. The resort also shreds and composts green waste on property. 

Despite resorts like Iru Fushi making every effort, the ongoing rise in sea levels poses an imminent threat to their future.

Tabyldieva said the sustainability team is “continuously brainstorming solutions,” such as implementing seawalls or planting mangrove trees in the near future. 

Responsible tourism

Travelers to the Maldives can reduce their environmental impact on the island nation while immersing themselves in Maldivian culture.

“The Maldives holds an equally vibrant soul, pulsating with a rich cultural heritage that stretches back centuries and awaits you wherever you go,” Thaufeeq said. She recommends travelers go beyond the confines of their resorts and seek out local markets in the capital of Malé – where most travelers fly into before boarding a seaplane to their final destination – or visit a traditional fishing village.

Iru Fushi offers an excursion that takes guests via boat to a nearby island to tour the village and support local shops and restaurants. 

Tabyldieva added that when exploring the ocean, guests should be mindful not to step or touch coral reefs to prevent any damage. Most resorts have an on-site marine biologist ready to educate and help keep the house reef healthy. 

Additionally, individuals can pack their waste, including empty toiletry bottles, to dispose of upon returning home, given the pressing waste management challenges facing the islands.

“Through these mindful actions, your Maldivian journey becomes a mutually enriching experience, fostering a positive impact on both you and the local community,” Thaufeeq said. 

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

How Sustainable Tourism in Pennsylvania Is Changing the Game

W hen the map of eco-conscious travel is drawn, Pennsylvania's corner shines with an unexpected vibrancy. The Keystone State has stepped into the limelight, crafting a niche in sustainable tourism that beckons travelers seeking experiences harmonized with environmental stewardship.

This trend towards green exploration is rapidly redefining vacations, marrying the allure of untamed landscapes with footprints that whisper rather than tread.

Pennsylvania wears its commitment to sustainability like a badge of honor – promising adventure without compromise. Let this serve as your primer on how embracing sustainable travel can transform not just your itinerary but also contribute to the preservation and appreciation of Pennsylvania's natural wonders.

Pennsylvania's Green Revolution: Where Sustainability Meets Exploration

The numbers tell a compelling story: with 192.4 million visitors bringing in an economic impact of $76.7 billion and supporting nearly half a million jobs, Pennsylvania isn't just on the map – it’s becoming the blueprint for a sustainable travel economy.

Governor Shapiro's recent call for an increase in tourism funding underscores this narrative, placing emphasis on bolstering what is already a robust sector.

In this verdant patchwork of landscapes, sustainability isn't merely a buzzword but a tangible part of every encounter. Lodgings here aren't just places to sleep; they are experiential havens like LEED-certified lodges that offer luxury guilt-free and glamping sites where you can count the stars without disrupting their natural glow. 

The state parks roll out miles of responsible hiking and biking trails while wildlife refuges host guided tours, allowing you to slip into the ecosystem with minimal disruption. The table is set generously too – with farm-to-table eateries showcasing Pennsylvania-grown produce and local breweries that pour passion into their craft, practicing sustainable methods from hop to glass.

Each element speaks to an ethos where green means go – explore, go indulge, and go knowing that your presence aids rather than hinders Pennsylvania's flourishing environment and economy.

Beyond Green: A Glimpse into Responsible Practices

Pennsylvania offers more than just scenic beauty and outdoor adventures. It's also committed to social responsibility, going beyond traditional expectations. Lawmakers are updating outdated laws to meet the needs of today, all while staying honest and accountable.

Volunteer fire departments – pillars of local communities – exemplify this transition as they navigate legislative updates hoping to leverage technology for fundraising through raffles.

These proposed changes echo a broader sentiment in Pennsylvania: adapting responsibly to contemporary lifestyles means looking at all facets of community engagement critically, including gaming.

And when it comes to responsible gaming, Pennsylvania takes responsible gaming seriously. Through websites like pennsylvaniagambling.info , Pennsylvania’s gambling options are presented transparently, offering guidance within the scope of ethical practices.

This indicates a step towards integrating responsible gaming into the state’s broader approach to tourism – keeping experiences enjoyable yet prudent for both visitors and residents alike.

As conversations about updating laws unfold, they provide insight into how responsible practices can reshape not only environmental policies but also community activities, blending tradition with innovation in Pennsylvania's forward-moving stride.

Volunteering and Eco-tourism

Pennsylvania extends an invitation not just to witness its landscapes, but to wear the hat of a steward within them. Opportunities for visitors to engage in ecotourism through volunteer programs are blossoming across state parks and wildlife refuges.

Here, you can plant trees, maintain trails, or participate in wildlife monitoring – efforts that ensure your travel footprint is not just neutral, but positively impactful.

Imagine spending a morning restoring native habitats and your afternoon recounting the experience over locally sourced cuisine. Pennsylvania affords such transformative experiences – where giving back to the land enhances the richness of your journey.

Planning a Sustainable Pennsylvania Trip:

Charting a course for sustainable travel in Pennsylvania becomes effortless with digital companions at your side. There are apps dedicated to uncovering green lodgings – from ecolodges nestled in forests to urban hotels with sustainability certifications – and platforms spotlighting restaurants where farm-to-table isn't just a label but a local pledge.

Remember to pack light but think big: bring clothing that can transition from day hikers to casual dinners; stock up on reusable toiletries rather than disposables (your conscience will thank you); and keep single-use plastics at bay by including water bottles and bags that go the distance.

Eco-friendly Transportation:

Once you have arrived, let your environmental commitment guide your choice of transportation. Inside major cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, public transit networks offer comprehensive coverage – a chance to mingle with locals while minimizing carbon output.

Outside urban centers, bike rentals are available, offering a leisurely pace to explore Pennsylvania's state parks and trails. For longer distances, organize carpooling with fellow travelers or seek out ride-sharing options to reduce emissions further.

Minimalist Mindset:

Adopting a minimalist mindset isn't just about packing; it's about the entire approach to travel. It encourages you to absorb more than you acquire, seeking memories in authentic experiences over tangible acquisitions.

In Pennsylvania, this could mean selecting souvenirs crafted by local artisans or choosing an afternoon at a hands-on pottery workshop over purchasing another mass-produced trinket.

Instead of focusing on how much you pack, focus on creating deep experiences. Explore Pennsylvania's heritage by meeting its people and seeing their crafts. Be mindful of your impact – respect the environment and local communities wherever you go.

Pennsylvania's Sustainable Tourism Revolution: A Blueprint for the Future

Pennsylvania's sustainable tourism revolution isn't just transforming itineraries; it's redefining the travel experience from the ground up. Here are key takeaways on how this green revolution is leading the charge:

• Eco-Friendly Accommodations: Lodges and hotels with LEED certification epitomize eco-luxury.
• Conservation-Tourism Synergy: Volunteer programs within state parks and wildlife refuges provide a hands-on approach to conservation.
• Sustainable Gastronomy: Farm-to-table dining experiences not only tantalize taste buds but also support local agriculture.
• Mindful Movement: Explore Pennsylvania's cities and parks via public transportation, bike rentals, or carpooling to minimize your carbon footprint.

When planning your trip to Pennsylvania, remember these actionable strategies:

• Seek out sustainable stays and eateries through online resources.
• Pack efficiently – prioritize versatile clothing and reusable items to minimize waste.
• Opt for public transportation or shared mobility solutions where possible.
• Engage deeply with local cultures through their artisanship rather than acquiring excessive souvenirs.

As you head out into Pennsylvania's natural glory or its heritage-rich streets, let your actions echo a commitment to sustainability that enriches both the land you visit and your own traveler's tale. Let Pennsylvania's breathtaking beauty inspire a lifelong commitment to sustainable travel, one eco-conscious adventure at a time.

The post How Sustainable Tourism in Pennsylvania Is Changing the Game appeared first on Sunny Sweet Days .

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Marine protected areas safeguard more than ecology—they bring economic benefits to fisheries and tourism

by Mark John Costello, The Conversation

Marine Protected Areas ( MPAs ) have been used as a conservation measure for decades, but critics continue to argue that evidence of their economic benefits is weak , particularly with regard to fisheries.

Given the challenges in establishing MPAs, including objections from fisheries and the frequently small size and sub-optimal location of protected areas, one would expect their economic benefits to be hard to detect.

My new study reviews 81 publications about MPAs in 37 countries. It shows their establishment has resulted in benefits to commercial fisheries in 25 countries and to tourism in 24. These benefits covered a diversity of ecosystems, including coral reefs , kelp forests, mangroves, rocky reefs, salt marshes, mudflats and sandy seabed habitats.

There were 46 examples of economic benefits to fisheries adjacent to a marine protected area. These include increased fish stocks and catch volumes, higher reproduction and larval "spillover" to fisheries outside the MPA. Other studies also reported larger fish and lobsters close to existing MPAs.

Despite claims in the research literature of fishery displacement due to the establishment of an MPA, it seems the benefits outweigh any temporary disruption of fishing activities.

In my research, I have found no evidence of net costs of an MPA to fisheries anywhere, at any time.

Fishery models need to account for protection benefits

Most economic models estimating the costs marine protected areas impose on fisheries don't account for the present costs of fishery management (or absence of management).

When an entire fishery is closed temporarily by fishery management, the models estimate the potential benefit from stock recovery. But they don't do that when a fraction of a fishery is closed for the long-term in an MPA.

Overall, my research shows that MPAs which ban all fishing have lower management costs and greater ecological and fishery benefits than more complex fishery regulations within a protected area. Thus, the economic models of the effects of MPAs need radical revision.

Although it may seem counterintuitive that a full restriction of fishing in an area will result in more fish elsewhere, this happens because MPAs act like a reservoir to replenish adjacent fisheries.

In financial terms, the capital is invested and people benefit from the interest on the investment. To count the establishment of an MPA as a cost to fisheries is like claiming that interest earned on money is a cost.

In some areas, fishery controls such as quota and the type of gear allowed already restrict fishing over larger areas than a MPA (especially when most MPAs still allow some fishing).

An analysis of the long-term effects of marine reserves in Sweden found they complemented fishery management measures. But when they were reopened to fisheries, even if temporarily, the benefits were promptly lost.

MPAs represent a simple, viable, low-tech and cost-effective strategy that can be used for small and large areas. As such, they have proven highly successful both for safeguarding marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. More pertinently, they reverse fishery declines , secure food and ecosystem services and enable the sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

MPAs shift the management of fisheries from being purely a commercial commodity to include the wider socio-economic benefits they provide to coastal communities. This includes food security, cultural activities and sustainable likelihoods. A recent review of 118 studies found that no-take, well enforced and older MPAs most benefited human well-being.

MPAs can generate billions from ecotourism

In addition to economic benefits to fisheries, MPAs that are accessible to the public, and which harbor biologically diverse habitats, can generate millions to billions of dollars in tourism revenue per year.

This revenue is generated not only from entrance fees and MPA-associated businesses that may develop, but also from providing jobs and therefore improving the local economy and living standards, while contributing significantly to national GDP.

The largest benefits to fisheries and biodiversity, and lowest costs in management, come from the designation of MPAs from which no marine wildlife can be killed or removed.

This principle has been termed Ballantine's Law after the late New Zealand marine biologist Bill Ballantine, known as the " father of marine reserves ".

Back in the 1970s, Ballantine championed what was then a radical idea—that MPAs should be entirely no-take, permanent areas called marine reserves. This led to the establishment of New Zealand's first marine reserve .

I have worked with Ballantine and one of our earlier studies found three-quarters of coastal countries didn't have even one marine reserve. Today, less than 3% of the global ocean is under some form of protection.

Considering the proven benefits and popularity of MPAs, this is a missed opportunity for these countries' economies and public engagement with nature. Once people witness the benefits of a fully protected area they are likely to want more.

The fishing industry and fishing communities have much to gain from MPAs. But outdated misconceptions perpetuated in the scientific literature create barriers to their implementation.

A recent global analysis has prioritized where to locate MPAs to meet the pledge to fully protect at least 30% of ocean habitats by 2030. This goal is supported by the Convention on Biological Diversity , UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Union for Conservation of Nature .

Fishery scientists and fishermen need to promote the placement of MPAs as a strategy to support biodiversity, including ecosystem-based management of fisheries. They should work with conservation scientists to realize the true capacity of MPAs for economic success .

Marine protected areas represent our best strategy to reverse declining biodiversity and fisheries, because business-as-usual for global fisheries is unsustainable.

Provided by The Conversation

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Marine protected areas safeguard more than ecology – they bring economic benefits to fisheries and tourism

Professor, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University

Disclosure statement

Mark John Costello receives funding from the European Commission Horizon Europe research programme..

View all partners

Marine Protected Areas ( MPAs ) have been used as a conservation measure for decades, but critics continue to argue that evidence of their economic benefits is weak , particularly with regard to fisheries.

Given the challenges in establishing MPAs, including objections from fisheries and the frequently small size and sub-optimal location of protected areas, one would expect their economic benefits to be hard to detect.

My new study reviews 81 publications about MPAs in 37 countries. It shows their establishment has resulted in benefits to commercial fisheries in 25 countries and to tourism in 24. These benefits covered a diversity of ecosystems, including coral reefs, kelp forests, mangroves, rocky reefs, salt marshes, mudflats and sandy seabed habitats.

There were 46 examples of economic benefits to fisheries adjacent to a marine protected area. These include increased fish stocks and catch volumes, higher reproduction and larval “spillover” to fisheries outside the MPA. Other studies also reported larger fish and lobsters close to existing MPAs.

Despite claims in the research literature of fishery displacement due to the establishment of an MPA, it seems the benefits outweigh any temporary disruption of fishing activities.

In my research, I have found no evidence of net costs of an MPA to fisheries anywhere, at any time.

Read more: 75% of Australia's marine protected areas are given only 'partial' protection. Here's why that's a problem

Fishery models need to account for protection benefits

Most economic models estimating the costs marine protected areas impose on fisheries don’t account for the present costs of fishery management (or absence of management).

When an entire fishery is closed temporarily by fishery management, the models estimate the potential benefit from stock recovery. But they don’t do that when a fraction of a fishery is closed for the long-term in an MPA.

Overall, my research shows that MPAs which ban all fishing have lower management costs and greater ecological and fishery benefits than more complex fishery regulations within a protected area. Thus, the economic models of the effects of MPAs need radical revision.

Although it may seem counterintuitive that a full restriction of fishing in an area will result in more fish elsewhere, this happens because MPAs act like a reservoir to replenish adjacent fisheries.

In financial terms, the capital is invested and people benefit from the interest on the investment. To count the establishment of an MPA as a cost to fisheries is like claiming that interest earned on money is a cost.

In some areas, fishery controls such as quota and the type of gear allowed already restrict fishing over larger areas than a MPA (especially when most MPAs still allow some fishing).

An analysis of the long-term effects of marine reserves in Sweden found they complemented fishery management measures. But when they were reopened to fisheries, even if temporarily, the benefits were promptly lost.

Read more: Protected marine areas should serve nature and people: a review of South Africa's efforts

MPAs represent a simple, viable, low-tech and cost-effective strategy that can be used for small and large areas. As such, they have proven highly successful both for safeguarding marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. More pertinently, they reverse fishery declines , secure food and ecosystem services and enable the sustainable exploitation of marine resources.

MPAs shift the management of fisheries from being purely a commercial commodity to include the wider socio-economic benefits they provide to coastal communities. This includes food security, cultural activities and sustainable likelihoods. A recent review of 118 studies found that no-take, well enforced and older MPAs most benefited human wellbeing.

MPAs can generate billions from ecotourism

In addition to economic benefits to fisheries, MPAs that are accessible to the public, and which harbour biologically diverse habitats, can generate millions to billions of dollars in tourism revenue per year.

This revenue is generated not only from entrance fees and MPA-associated businesses that may develop, but also from providing jobs and therefore improving the local economy and living standards, while contributing significantly to national GDP.

The largest benefits to fisheries and biodiversity, and lowest costs in management, come from the designation of MPAs from which no marine wildlife can be killed or removed.

This principle has been termed Ballantine’s Law after the late New Zealand marine biologist Bill Ballantine, known as the “ father of marine reserves ”.

Back in the 1970s, Ballantine championed what was then a radical idea – that MPAs should be entirely no-take, permanent areas called marine reserves. This led to the establishment of New Zealand’s first marine reserve .

I have worked with Ballantine and one of our earlier studies found three-quarters of coastal countries didn’t have even one marine reserve. Today, less than 3% of the global ocean is under some form of protection.

Considering the proven benefits and popularity of MPAs, this is a missed opportunity for these countries’ economies and public engagement with nature. Once people witness the benefits of a fully protected area they are likely to want more.

The fishing industry and fishing communities have much to gain from MPAs. But outdated misconceptions perpetuated in the scientific literature create barriers to their implementation.

A recent global analysis has prioritised where to locate MPAs to meet the pledge to fully protect at least 30% of ocean habitats by 2030. This goal is supported by the Convention on Biological Diversity , UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Union for Conservation of Nature .

Read more: Protecting 30% of Earth's surface for nature means thinking about connections near and far

Fishery scientists and fishermen need to promote the placement of MPAs as a strategy to support biodiversity, including ecosystem-based management of fisheries. They should work with conservation scientists to realise the true capacity of MPAs for economic success .

Marine protected areas represent our best strategy to reverse declining biodiversity and fisheries, because business-as-usual for global fisheries is unsustainable.

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• marine reserves
• fishing industry
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