Mis Interpretation of Ecotourism: The Misuse Of The Wording (Essay Sample)

Mis-interpretation of Ecotourism
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Mis-interpretation of Ecotourism
In this essay, there shall have in-depth dissuasion of ecotourism whereby profound insights will be relayed on the misuse of the wording; ecotourism. This word is relatively new in the tourism environs. Ecotourism is a form of visits mostly associated with tourism inclusive of visits to pristine and none disturbed areas with intents based on low-impact and often a small-scale option to commercial tourism. The utterances mentioned above insinuates responsible travels to areas (natural) conserving the environment. Here, there is also an improvement to people living in the travelled regions. The core aim of these travels are mainly enlightening the travellers and the inhabitants of the land; to provide funding for conservation of the ecology whereby they are the direct beneficiaries (Al Fritsch, 2015, p. 24). Additionally, there is a political empowerment to the local communities hence some sense of fostering distinct cultures and for the best of the rights for a human.
During the 1980's, ecotourism has been labelled as an essential endeavour by the environmental conservatism hence assisting the coming generations to have better destinations untouched by the yester day's populace. Notably, ecotourism encompasses interacting with the biotic and non-biotic environs thus focusing on; socially accountable travels, growth on personal levels and sustainability of the environment at large (Allan Ingelson, 2007, p. 33). There exist variously responsible ecotourism related programs inclusive of those minimising the negating aspects of tourism (conventional) on the environs together with enhancement of culturally integrated actions to the locals. Thus, in addition to evaluations of cultures and environmental aspects; the core part of ecotourism is promoting energy efficiency, conservation of water and recycling of opportunities for the local communes.
Though a new term, the ecosystem is surrounded by many risks that could all bring massive loss to the habitats of the visited places and global at large. Ecotourism is growing at the high phase and becoming one of the fast-growing sectors around the globe. The annual growth is estimated at 10-15 percentile in the world. These travels as pinned on the definition of the word ecotourism may result to trips are unbeneficial to the locals and community at large (Bhattacharya, 2005, p. 25). There are set targets for those willing to hold ecotourism travels. Lamentably, most of the education environmental travels do not comply with the established standards. Unfortunately, the diversion of travellers against the set criteria is yielding a lot of negating impacts. South Africa sets the pace as one of the countries experiencing positive results from ecotourism. There is a substantial financial resource injected into programs with intents of improving environments for ecotourism (Brophy, 2011, p. 45). Money has been put into campaigns on creating mutual relation and trying to sustain it actions but all in vain. The money earned from ecotourism should be channelled to projects that enhance and steer continuum of the visited places. At the local level, ecotourism has been misused by many people presuming the move thus reclaiming land that was earlier bare. In a phantom world, efforts would be carried down to enlighten the population on the social and environmental effects of ecotourism.
Notably, this word ecotourism is misused and misinterpreted whereby most people overlook it as a consumer-centred activity with many people coming with plans only meant for economic gains (Buckley, 2004, p. 21). Although intended for smaller groupings, a modest increase in population means exerting extra pressure on the local environs thus necessitating the addition of amenities and infrastructure. The ecosystem here should be directed to the meaning of visiting places and not relocating thus leaving the travelled area as it was or improving it (Al Fritsch, 2015, p. 24).
In case of a visit to forests, the visitors ought to plant newer trees and plants leaving the inhabitants as they had earlier met them. The infrastructure brought by the tourists whereby there is additional of pollution on the already existing (Brian Garrod, 2008, p. 22). Some lifestyle hailing from the tourists might lead to degradation of the environment such as usage of using of bottled containers leaving the arable land infertile. Most of the people on Eco tours are crowd thus impacting the air. Plants are affected mostly by the photochemical and acid rain from the air transportation by the tourists. For those travelling to the interior of the forest, an exotic journey to 10,000 kilometres may call for 650 litres of fuel to individuals on a private jet.
The local communities should also feel the benefits reaped from ecotourism. This is the opposite of what happens on the ground since most of the Ecotour companies are owned by foreign investors hence fewer profits received by the locals (Bhattacharya, 2005, p. 32). Majority of the returns are pocketed by the foreign investors instead of holding reinvestments into the locals. In case of reserves owned by the foreigners, the community holds a grudge with the owners terming the relation as bile since the foreigners are solely reaping the benefits. Employment should also be handed to locals with specialities on various aspects inclusive of guides and guards on animal reserves (Buckley, 2009, p. 37). The local is best suited to tackling issues on their native lands. A native is easily able to address the issue of an animal that has escaped with ease more than a foreigner. An example is in Kenya where the Maasai are famous for containing Lion thus calming it. In some instances, the local might degrade the environment hailing from their resentments.
Displacement of people is one bad example of communities transferred in attempts to accommodate foreigners (tourists). Since many countries only allow foreigners for a specified period, some visitors come with projects and research on the environment (Buckley, 2009, p. 17). Their arrival displaces the locals whereby they set their facilities at a given site.
This means loss of land to the locals hence making them search for a new ranch. Here, the locals find out notices and merciless foreigners already take the area. Most of the eco-tourism activities are with the intents of creating images (simplistic) of the natives. Their surroundings are used for the benefit of the foreigners. Lamentably, the locals take blame in case the projects fail since the policies were directed to them by the project officials (Mercedita P Sisteberio, 2009, p. 36). Here, tourism is of no benefit to the locals since it is not empowering them or even their environment in any way. Contrastingly, he Eco tours deplete and exploit the native's resources.
On the social aspect, social aspects are degraded since most of the tourist instil their mannerism on the new land. Research on social behaviours pins down that establishment of protected sections of property leaves local without places to call their residence with no compensation (Botswana Tourism Board, 2007, p. 26). The locals have already set culture set by their forefathers. Migrating people into marginalised lands, harsh climatic environs, barren lands and disease infested areas does little to catapult the local's livelihood (Buckley, 2004, p. 41).Establishing parks and converting them into park might raise survival issues thus depriving the natives their resources; tradition, and nature. It is unfortunate to utter that you have environmental visits while these acts do not benefit the locals. Ethnic groupings are perceived as wildlife and backdrop of the scenes. Cultural and survival freedom go hand in hand for local communities living in wildlife (Buckley, 2004, p. 35).
Since the inception of the term eco-system conservation, there has to rose ecotourism in different natural conserved areas (Martha, 2002, p. 37). The governments of various countries have intervened and entrusted the administrative tasks to separate organisations. Apparently, the Organizations tasked with the management role have vaguely defined the process leading to the inflation of running cost.
Most of the decisions by the tasked force are irrational with most projects coming up with decisions spending on political benefiting with unproductivity. Most of these organisations drive the common goal to their interests. Due to conspicuousness, constructing a visiting centre at an ecotourism site thus preceding over much pressing issues inclusive of an aesthetic visiting centre (Higham, 2007, p. 44). A country like Kenya where the unemployment rate has 40 percent of the graduates jobless, should hand capital to operate such initiatives regarding natural conservation.
Conservation of the environment does not insinuate having dirty and pristine areas but rather an environment allowing preserve of all animal kingdom (Mercedita P Sisteberio, 2009, p. 44). Management of the environment by the private Organizations is not worthy since they hold into self-interests thus seeking higher profits from huge visits by tourists. Some companies are going to the extent of competing on pristine environments to achieve awards (Brophy, 2011, p. 27). This is a total diversion from the true meaning of ecosystem conservation. A model best describing this act is the monopolistic competition whereby it utters that distinctiveness is inclusive of profits which later might translate into imitation by the populace.
In case other companies set their eyes on this success, they will quickly engage their interests into running similar enterprise which does not hold any reproach to environmental conservation.
The demand of the tourist to visit the place will eventually decline hence loss...