Ecotourism

"Ecotourism began to gain prominence in the late and exploded in the , due to several factors such as (i) being an alternative to mass tourism, (ii) being seen as a form of "sustainable development", especially in tropical and/or developing countries and regions such as Latin America, and Africa, (iii) providing spaces for recreation, leisure, sport and tourism that provide reconnection with nature, and (iv) promising sustainable use for s, s and other types of protected areas (Eagles and McCool, 2002; Cunha and Costa, 2018)."

"Ecotourism arguably would not exist, and certainly would not exist in the form it is now, were it not for the active involvement of the academic community. s and academia have played a critical stewardship role in the conceptualization and operationalization of this activity, more so than any other form of tourism. Ecotourism has evolved, and is still evolving through three phases. The ‘New Dawn’ phase is typified by idealism, hyperbole and hope. It is followed quickly by a ‘Crisis of Legitimacy’, where critics illustrate that the ecotourism largely fails to meet its social, economic and ecological ideals, that has not yet been resolved fully. Finally, ecotourism reaches maturity when it achieves the ‘Sustainable Product Niche’ phase where a understanding of what it can and cannot do, emerges."

"Between 1991 and 2001, the number of American adults who participated in hunting declined by 7 per cent whereas the adult population increased by 12 per cent (US Department of Interior 2002). This decline appears superficially to favour ecotourism, but the situation is complicated by the fact that the pro-hunting s are a major force in the preservation of North American s that harbour s and other wildlife that are also attractive to ecotourists."