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Is ecotourism a good thing?

Ecotourism is often defined as sustainable , nature-based tourism. But it's not based on nature alone. Ecotour organizers frequently employ local people to show tourists how wildlife and culture interact in remote communities. Many feel this is a great way to protect both the environment and culture of the tourist site.

This is certainly a fair argument, given the potential benefits of well-planned, small-scale ecotourism. When host communities help plan ecotourism, both the tours and communities can benefit. Local people familiar with the landscape give tour groups access to remote areas. They gain prestige for their expertise and make money by hosting

tourists. Tourism boosts the local economy while preserving cultural and natural treasures.

On the other hand, tourists influence local residents to change their traditional behaviors at the individual, family and community level. Contact with visitors from cities around the world alters local beliefs, values and lifestyle. Preserving traditional culture can become a false phrase, masking the sad reality that traditional rituals are merely staged performances for tourists.

What's more, many environmentalists argue that ecotourism on a large scale damages the landscape. Careless guides can frighten animals or change animal breeding and

feeding behaviors by introducing new noises and interferences into formerly secluded areas. Big hotels that offer an unlimited water supply to their guests deplete dry areas of an essential and expensive resource. This reduces the quality of life for locals.

So should we put an end to ecotourism? No way! say some die-hard environmentalists. Tourist sites provide a useful buffer zone between the developed world and the wild places, leaving large, precious areas virtually untouched. The right kind of ecotourism could give tourists just enough stimulation to satisfy their curiosity, and give the local culture and environment just enough protection to survive.

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