ES295 Lecture Notes - Ecotourism, Biome, Biogeography
Document Summary
Ecotourism module 4 lecture notes: the island biome. We have examined the impacts that tourism and more specifically ecotourism can have on the environment. We now consider how these activities can also impact on the local, social and economic systems. As weaver states, it is important to achieve socio-cultural sustainability as well. Aside from the humanitarian perspective, a community that is sustainable will provide the support for ecotourism, which in turn, will promote environmental benefits. Visitor satisfaction and market sustainability will also be achieved. Weaver summarizes the costs to the socio-cultural systems as: direct costs. Erosion of local control (foreign experts, in-migration of job seekers) Local inequalities and internecine disputes: indirect costs. Tourist opposition to aspects of local culture and lifestyle (e. g. hunting, slash/burn agriculture) Erosion of local control: ecotourism can lead to a change in local control which can have either a negative or positive impact on the local system.
