What is Ecotourism and Why is it Important

According to the International Ecotourism Society (TIES, n.d.), Ecotourism is characterised as responsible travel to natural destinations that seeks to conserve the environment, and sustains the well-being of locals, alongside education and interpretation. A few of its aims include encouraging respect, environmental and cultural awareness, generating income for the local population and conservation efforts, whilst providing a pleasant experience for both tourists and hosts (TIES, n.d.).

Pros and Cons of Ecotourism

Not only do visitors get to recharge being away from the hustle of work and home responsibilities, but ecotourism brings about many benefits, such as providing locals with a source of income and employment, encouraging the maintenance of biodiversity and natural resources, and fulfilling a sense of environmental wellness within an individual (Bishop, 2022; Hunt & Harbour, 2019). 

However, if increased access to these natural ecosystems is not well monitored, human traffic may contribute to the degradation of a fragile environment; littering, noise, and pollution are examples of irresponsible ecotourism (Bishop, 2022). Also, the locals may experience a sense of “intrusion” due to the clash of cultural practices with their visitors (Baloch et al., 2022). 

What Can Ecotourism Look Like?

Ecotourism can be categorised into four types: nature-based, adventure, cultural, and volunteerism (Reali, 2023). Nature-based ecotourism allows visitors to experience direct contact with Mother Nature’s amenities such as wildlife viewing and nature photography (Abbasi, 2023; Reali, 2023). Hiking in mountainous areas and engaging in adventure water sports are examples of adventure ecotourism (Reali, 2023). Cultural-wise, it can entail visiting a religious place of worship and learning a local tribe’s way of life. Forging two concepts of tourism and volunteerism, gives rise to voluntourism. Contributing in conservation efforts, participating in community development, and beach clean ups are some examples (Reali, 2023).

Most feasibly and sustainably, we can seek ecotourism opportunities domestically (see Let’s Go Tour Singapore, 2023), or across the pond in Johor Bahru (see SGMYTAXI, 2024)! 

Written by: Adalee Loh

09/2024

References

Abbasi, I. U. (2023, February 24). What is ecotourism? Meaning, examples, and advantages. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-ecotourism-meaning-examples-advantages-iqbal-uddin-abbasi/ 

Baloch, Q. B., Shah, S. N., Iqbal, N., Sheeraz, M., Asadullah, M., Mahar, S., & Khan, A. U. (2022, August 19). Impact of tourism development upon environmental sustainability: A suggested framework for sustainable ecotourism. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(3), 5917-5930. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9389488/ 

Bishop, C. (2022). What to know about ecotourism. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-to-know-about-ecotourism

Hunt, C. A., & Harbor, L. C. (2019, December). Pro-environmental tourism: Lessons from adventure, wellness and eco-tourism (AWE) in Costa Rica. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 28. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213078018300768 

Let’s Go Tour Singapore. (2023, June 14). Ecotourism Singapore: Be a part of sustainable tourism. https://www.letsgotoursingapore.com/ecotourism-singapore/ 

Reali, C. (2023, August 15). Ecotourism 101: Ecotourism examples, definition, and best practices. Mize. Retrieved August 11, 2024 from https://mize.tech/blog/ecotourism-101-ecotourism-examples-definition-best-practices/ 

SGMYTAXI. (2024, April). Top 11 eco parks and farms in Johor (Updated). Retrieved April 11, 2024 from https://www.sgmytaxi.com/johor-eco-parks/ 

The International Ecotourism Society. (n.d.). What is ecotourism? https://ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism/