Ecotourism is a feasible alternative to the negative effects of mass tourism. Tourism has become a global phenomenon in the world today, with growing numbers of tourists every year, mostly attributed to mass tourism. Mass tourism is defined as global tourism with many people staying overseas for more than one night, as compared to other forms of tourism such as ecotourism or business and medical tourism. The growth in tourism has been mainly attributed to the growing affluence of today’s society, lifestyle changes, as well as technological developments that allow for greater holidays at cheaper prices too. However, tourism has also brought along many negative impacts, in terms of the economic aspect, cultural and social aspect, and most importantly in the environmental aspect too. As such, ecotourism has been brought into the problem to be tried as a feasible alternative to mass tourism. Ecotourism aims at safeguarding both natural and built environments, being sustainable and enabling local people to share in the economic and social benefits. Firstly, ecotourism helps to protect the environment and sustain it. With tourism, environmental impacts such as the destruction of the natural environment and wildlife habitat, such as in coastal, marine and inland areas, has occurred along with various other consequences such as the loss of ecosystems and pollution. These consequences have stemmed from mass global tourism that involves many tourists going to a single attraction. For example, overcrowding in America’s Yellowstone National Park has resulted in the environment being unable to sustain itself and become ecologically vulnerable. Some tourists, such as the ones who scale mountains, may leave rubbish behind and this causes damage to the environment in some ways too. Not only is it aesthetically unpleasing, land pollution will occur as a result of the rubbish being left behind by some inconsiderate tourists. As a result, ecotourism has now been introduced to curb this problem. People who are environmentally-friendly or green activists may choose to opt for ecotourism instead of the normal mass global tourism in order to show their support for the environment. Ecotourism includes introducing quotas on the number of visitors allowed at any point in time at a particular attraction. Such regulations have been imposed in the Yellowstone National Park and this has effectively helped to salvage to some extent, ecologically vulnerable areas that are now prone to less congestion and degradation. Ecotourism also aims to involve different groups of people to come together to make tourism a sustainable form of tourism. For example, with the help of rules and regulations set by the government, support from the local people, and advice from non-governmental organisations, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has managed to be on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and protected by many organisations and groups so as to preserve its natural beauty and diverse ecosystem. UNESCO is a strong advocator for ecotourism, providing funding to threatened sites to conserve them. Furthermore, when a place is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site either for its cultural value or environmental beauty, it will draw more visitors to the attraction due to its reputation, and this will ultimately result in greater economic benefits and gains, along with environmental protection for the ecosystem, against pollution and degradation. Lastly, ecotourism aims to allow people to have a taste of life without technology and to enjoy nature at the finest. At Sian Ka’an Biosphere in Mexico, visitors are taken on walking tours to see lagoons, mangroves and tropical rainforests; they sleep in tents, using composting toilets and obtain water that is heated from solar wind and power. The number of tourists each day is also limited to 80 tourists a day. This shows that ecotourism aims to promote environmental awareness and allows people to enjoy the true beauty of the environment, instead of inflicting damages upon the environment. Therefore, ecotourism is able to be a feasible alternative to mass tourism, as it allows tourists to enjoy themselves, while making sure that environmental impacts are positive.
Secondly, ecotourism reduces the negative economic impacts of mass global tourism, thus proving itself as a feasible alternative of mass global tourism. Mass tourism seems to bring about more positive economic benefits as compared to ecotourism, by providing many jobs in the employment sector and the generation of GDP annually. However, in mass global tourism, government expenditure may be diverted away from other needy areas of the economy in order to attract more tourists to the country. However, with ecotourism, not much government expenditure is needed to lure tourists to the country as ecotourism mainly relies on the natural beauty of the environment to draw visitors in. Such countries with natural beauty include Nepal, where many mountainous peaks are able to attract visitors. Thus, money focused on tourism needs can be diverted to more needy areas of the economy such as education for children, or basic sanitation needs. Besides this, one of the more substantial economic problems caused by mass global tourism, is the leakage effect, involving profits going overseas and back to the transnational or foreign companies that are operating hotels, resorts and other tourists attractions. However, with ecotourism, money or profit received is unlikely to be sent overseas and this results in greater economic gains for the host country. When tourists shop, they are more likely to scour for local souvenirs that are unique and special to appreciate local cultures, and this would too benefit the local economy, preventing leakages. Also, ecotourism packages usually involve tours by locals to places that are naturally beautiful, and also places that the locals are familiar with. This would ensure that the money from the tours would go towards the local economy, since ecotourism are usually run by locals that are familiar with the attractions, and prevents leakages of economic gains to overseas companies. Lastly, there would not be a problem of inflated prices for land, housing, food and clothes for the locals of the host country. Ecotourism aims to educate people about cultural and environmental awareness, and live in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Thus, housing prices would not be a problem as tourists would be staying in tents. Water and food problems would also have no impact on the locals as tourists will be enjoying the natural food and water resources out in the wild. Thus, ecotourism as opposed to mass global tourism is able to bring about greater economic benefits to not only the local economy, but to the locals as well.
Lastly, ecotourism has also brought about more cultural and social benefits as compared to mass global tourism. Mass global tourism will bring about impacts such as Aids, social pathology, commercialisation, as well as westernisation. However, with ecotourism, these problems would have a lower chance of arising and would instead increase people’s interest and awareness in local indigenous cultures and traditions. Social pathology, which includes prostitution, drugs, and petty crimes such as stealing, would have a lower chance of occurring during ecotourism. Ecotourism involves interacting with the environment and the local people, as opposed to engaging in inappropriate acts such as prostitution, doing drugs and stealing. Out in the wild, where people are experiencing ecotourism, there would be no drugs or prostitution available and stealing would most likely not happen, therefore decreasing the risk of social pathology in the local society. Aids also stems from social pathology involving prostitution. Also, with ecotourism, more jobs would be provided to the locals as they would be more familiar with the environment and culture, thus increasing their income and standard of living. . Cultural exchange can also occur and greater understanding between the different cultures would also emerge. Lastly, westernisation is unlikely to occur as tourists would be not be engaging in urban activities such as shopping and eating at fast-food or high class restaurants, but would rather be trying out local cuisine to understand and experience more of the host culture, thus preventing westernisation from occurring in the host country. The protection of the local environment can be evidently seen in some resorts or tourist attractions around the world such as Xcaret in Mexico. Thus, tourism is indeed a feasible alternative to mass global tourism as it helps to ensure the greater standard of living for locals, as well as the prevention of certain customs of tourists that locals may frown upon, while at the same time, allowing tourists to fully enjoy themselves.
In conclusion, ecotourism is indeed a feasible alternative to mass global tourism. Ecotourism allows the tourists to enjoy themselves, while at the same time, protecting the environment, preserving local culture, and boosting the local economy. It is a sustainable form of tourism that will be successful so long as the diverse ecosystem and natural beauty of the host country, as well as the indigenous culture and traditions of the country live on, and is able to replace the negative impacts of mass global tourism with its own positive impacts.