- After a few years of researching "ecotourism" - from definition to application
- I finally think I am beginning to understand this topic. Today, the Mexico
City News published the following article which I also have online the
Planeta.com website:
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/planeta/0199/0199latam.html
http://www.novedades.com.mx/environm.htm
ENVIRONMENT/ The News
Mexico City, January 24, 1999.
LATIN AMERICA'S NEW ECOTOURISM: WHAT IS IT?
By RON MADER
Special to The News
Defining ? and agreeing upon a definition of ? the word
"ecotourism" poses a challenge in Latin America. This
buzzword remains a vague term used to market anything
related to nature or environmental tourism. Proyectos
ecoturisticos sell everything from community development
projects to jet skis.
The lack of a standard terminology has resulted in a myriad of
definitions. In a comparative study of ecotourism policy in the
Americas for the Organization of American States, Steve
Edwards, Bill McLauglin and Sam Ham found that of the 25
government tourism agencies that chose to define
"ecotourism," 21 chose to create their own homegrown
definition.
Moreover, international organizations such as the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
the Sierra Club and the American Society of Travel Agents
(ASTA) have each created their own guidelines promoting
eco-friendly travel.
Is this a mess? Yes and no. What's most important to review
right now is that the lack of a standard definition of
ecotourism may not be easily overcome without creating
additional problems for those who might best benefit from the
concept, namely campesinos and residents of rural areas that
abut or coincide with protected areas.
_________
This is just the introduction. The entire article is online
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/planeta/0199/0199latam.html
If you don't have good web access and you'd like me to email you a copy,
just send a request to me at ron@greenbuilder.com.
Also, let me know if you'd like to receive the monthly updates from Planeta.com
regarding new documents, ecotourism conferences and good books (!) about the
environment and travel in the Americas.
Saludos, Ron
Ron Mader
Author, Mexico: Adventures in Nature
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/search/tequila.html
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