Some define “ecotourism” simply as tourism focused on the natural environment. Some think eco-tourism consists of travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and small scale. Others say it requires local community engagement.
Amazingly, “ecotourism” was first used in print as late as 1982, in the title of a UN booklet, Ecological Tourism (Ecotourism). It’s defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “Tourism to areas of ecological interest (typically exotic and often threatened natural environments), esp. to support conservation efforts and observe wildlife; spec. access to an endangered environment controlled so as to have the least possible adverse effect.”
Ecotourism has been known by other names: alternative tourism, sustainable tourism, community-based tourism, volun-tourism, among others. Definitions and criteria vary widely. Ecotourism and alternative tourism are umbrella expressions, although alternative tourism does not necessarily prize responsibility, just the move away from purely recreational mass tourism, whereas ecotourism does not exclude mass tourism.
Sustainable tourism is more specific, focusing on economically, socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable tourist activities. No impact should be permanent or irreversible. Sustainable tourism has been recognized by some United Nations agencies as an effective economic tool for, and measure of, sustainable growth – especially in the world’s poorer countries.
Community-based tourism necessarily implies the participation of local communities as the planners, managers and primary beneficiaries of sustainable tourism enterprises that support, dignify and respect local culture and resources.
Volun-tourism is a relatively new concept that sees visitors volunteering with local organisations, making sure that they give back as much as they can to the land offering them temporary hospitality.
Nature tourism
Nature tourism, on the other hand, is often defined as visiting a natural site such as a coral reef, rain forest, or wet land to enjoy its natural beauty. It denotes tourism dependent on natural resources. This does not include conventional beach tourism. Importantly, the definition of nature tourism is broader than that of ecotourism, which requires that travel is in an environmentally friendly fashion. Some nature tourism concerns viewing fauna and flora, or participating in adventure sports activities in which enjoyment of natural beauty is combined with physical exercise and general exhilaration.
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