If there were one necessary step to take to ensure the future of ecotourism it would be making solid plans that will take the industry in the proper direction. As more people forego holiday trips to traditional luxury resorts in favor of helping to protect natural resources it will be critical that ecotourism is guided gently along the correct path.



This field is less than three decades old and is still in its infancy compared to many other economic areas. The concept of ecotourism has at its core the need to conserve resources and protect fragile cultures even as we travel to remote locations to experience those very things. Some of the travel activity loosely labelled as ecotourism in the past has actually caused damage to the environment and exploited resources instead of preserving them. Air transportation, for example, contributes to the greenhouse effect and the use of this travel method is growing because ecotourism destinations are generally in remote regions of the globe.

While the basic idea of ecotourism has great potential, the ideals stated and written during the Global Ecotourism Conference in Oslo (2007) have hardly been reached. In fact, the negative impacts of tourism discussed in Oslo continue in ecotourism as well as in mass tourism. As ecotourism gains popularity, growing three times faster than the tourism industry as a whole, areas of concern remain. This rapid growth and the increased air traffic necessary to sustain the industry contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect. Unfortunately, this is exactly the type of natural/social issue ecotourism is meant to eliminate.

Some businesses are making an effort to eliminate the travel emissions problem. For example, Nature Air, based in Costa Rica, claims that it is, overall, a zero emitter of carbon dioxide since the emissions of its vehicles are balanced by reforestation projects in the Central American country. Ecotourism can also have negative effects on national parks and other sightseeing destinations on small islands and countries that become desirable ecotourism destinations.

This attraction may not change, as more people desire to be part of the environmentally friendly exploration that is part of ecotourism. Conference attendees in Oslo crafted a statement addressing this issue, noting that there is a need for responsible travel - methods and travel plans that conserve resources as much as possible and keep the welfare of indigenous populations at the top of the priority list.

Some may be discouraged by the effects that long-distance travel has on ecotourism, knowing that the necessary methods of getting to remote locations may actually be causing more harm. But if the ecotourism destinations are left out of the growing industry, the local populations will not realize economic benefit and the natural resources of the location won't be part of a worldwide preservation movement. No tourism at all can have a negative impact, as would mass tourism that may move in to occupy the industry niche left by retreating ecotourism supporters. This is true across the world from or Zelianople.

Certainly, ecotourism can be the instrument of its own demise, especially if the guidelines and projects are not carefully thought out. There is much to be done to make sure that proper solutions are applied to the damage issues created by the increasing popularity of ecotourism.