Tourism is the largest business sector in the global economy, accounting for $3.6 trillion in economic activity and 8 percent of jobs worldwide. Within the industry, ecotourism is the fastest growing subsector, expanding by 20-34 percent per year since the early 1990s. Although ecotourism is considered environmentally sustainable by definition, experts at last week's Global Ecotourism Conference 2007 raised concern that ecotourism could be contributing to global warming and environmental damage.
Growth in International Tourist Arrivals by Region (1995-2004)
Source: EarthTrends 2007, using data from the World Tourism Organization
What is Ecotourism?
The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." Although the goal of ecotourism is to enjoy nature, not all tourism in natural areas is sustainable and can be defined as ecotourism. An official global ecotourism certification scheme remains to be developed, but most agree that ecotourism should posses the following qualities:
International Tourist Arrivals by Mode of Transport
Source: EarthTrends 2007, using data from the World Tourism Organization
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ecotourism
Reaching pristine, isolated natural areas often requires extensive air and ground travel that may contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental damage. Some airlines, such as the Costa Rica-based "Nature Air," offer zero net carbon emissions flights thanks to investments in reforestation initiatives, but this is certainly not the norm. According to travel experts, the tourism industry needs to focus on developing ecotourism markets closer to home that involve environmentally sustainable transport options. However, eliminating long-distance travel to ecotourism hotspots such as Africa and Asia could be disastrous for those developing economies that rely extensively on tourism receipts. Future meetings of the Global Ecotourism Conference, to be held every five years, will raise the profile of and help address some of these key issues.
RELATED LINKS:
International Ecotourism Society
Ecotourism at Conservation International
Air Travel Emissions Calculator
EarthTrends
