In the past few years, the word "Ecotourism" has been used increasingly to call any kind of tourist arrangement that has any connection to nature or culture. But is all nature or culture tourism really ecotourism? This site is about how we define and work with ecotourism.
One of the major aims of ecotourism is to conserve the ecological system in a natural area. Conservation and ecotourism activities should be planned and managed by active participation of the local host community. Communities involved in ecotourism should be able to support and maintain conservation activities using income generated from tourism, and improve their quality of life through the income generated from ecotourists.
Another important part of ecotourism is the educational experience for the tourists. Ecotourism provides an opportunity for learning about the local cultural and environmental conditions in the destination area. This can result in increased knownledge, experience, appreciation, and deeper awareness by tourists, local people and concerned entrepreneurs of the need to promote conservation values and mutual understanding.
Genuine ecotourism should maintain the long term attractiveness of a destination, ensuring that tourists continue to visit, as well as the viability of the cultural and economic way of life of the people associated with the place. Transportation to and from an ecotourism area should be done in a responsible manner, with no or very low impact on the environment and culture.
Why Ecotourism?
The tourist industry in Thailand is big business. This season approximately eight million people visited the country. Economic indicators show that this figure will continue to rise in the coming seasons. As a result, tourist industry revenues will also increase.
The main tourist attractions in Thailand are the country's beautiful natural landscapes and colorful culture. Increased numbers of touristed put more pressure on these attractions. Ecotourism is a way to address the conflict between the golds of conserving the country's natural and social environment and promoting tourism development.
Ecotourism and ethnic minorities
One of the main reasons tourists to northern Thailand is to trek. Trekking is a great experience and a good opportunity to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of the region. Trekking is also a way to get in touch with and experience the cultures and lifstyles of the different ethnic minority groups of northern Thailand. Ecotourism offers ethnic minorities, or highland people, the possibility to take control of tourism and income distribution in their communities on their own terms and in accordance with their culture and way of life.
Ecotourism increases the communication between tourists and highland peoples. More knowledge about each other can be exchanged in a way in which all involved actively partcipate on more equal terms. Ecotourism is also a way to as well as new, about nature conservation and the importance of sustainable thinking.
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