SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CRITERIA

A good ecotourism operation will strive to support the community and encourage travelers to be culturally sensitive by training and employing local people and by purchasing local supplies and services to further stimulate the economy. Increasingly, national governments such as Costa Rica and Australia are supporting the ecotourism trade for its benefit to both their country and their visitors. Tourist regions in many countries now rely on ecotourism as the primary source of revenue.







The education and good practices taught by ecotourism may also help foster sustainable development in a world increasingly faced by destructive practices such as clear-cutting forests and poor land-use policies that destroy habitats. Good ecotourism should ideally support criteria such as:






Conservation of biological and cultural diversity


Sustainable use of ecological resources


Support for local economies through increased local revenue, jobs for local populations, and use of local supplies and services


Community empowerment by sharing participation in management local ecotourism activities.


Increased environmental and cultural awareness


Minimal environmental tourist industry impact on local resources


Although the overall concept and intent of sustainable tourism is positive, the industry is not without its critics largely due to companies who abuse the concept of ecotourism to take advantage of the wealth generated by the interest in ecotourism. Some ecotourism operators have been accused of masking their environmentally destructive practices by marketing their businesses as ecotourism.






With time, the standards for good ecotourism will be established and both travelers and the industry will be aware of what constitutes an ecologically and culturally sensitive operation.