Ecoturismo

Foundation Programme in Humanities and Social Sciences

Module Number: INU0512

Module name: Introduction to the study of Humanities and Social Science

Word Count: 1301

Date of Submission: 25th June 2012

Compare and contrast the impact of heritage and eco-tourism from social, economic and environmental perspectives.

Maria Ximena Aviña


Tourism has become an importantaspect to any society, not only the socio-economical benefits it provides to the hosts but also because people find the tourist experience in most cases rather fulfilling. The tourism industry has several types of tourism due to different demands. Fennell (2008) claimed that in 1950 the most popular destinations where in Europe and in America they had a 71% of popularity in the travel market. Butthis changed in 2002 with a 35%. This was due the new demands, tourists where tired of visiting the same destinations, they desired unknown places to visit in Africa, Asia and the Middle East; these new countries where optimal for the new branches of tourism: ecotourism and heritage tourism. “The World Tourism Organization defines heritage tourism as an immersion in the natural history, humanheritage, arts, philosophy and institutions of another region or country”. Dallen and Boyd (2003p1) Ecotourism is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990) Through out this text the impact of heritage tourism and ecotourism will be discussed through the social, economical and environmental perspective.Fennel (2008) recognizes that there have been critical reviews of ecotourism for example the belief that ecotourism is less likely to succeed since from a social perspective, unless the rural tourism communities work together to succeed it will be difficult to have ecotourism in rural sites. Nevertheless this idea does not only correspond to ecotourism but to heritage tourism as well. Berger andWood (2010) outline how the rural communities in Cancun, Quintanarro, Mexico have had a positive impact, in fact helped in the process of creating successful heritage tourism sites like the famous archaeological site Chichen Itza (Today considered one of the seven wonders of the world). The exact reasons that are given are: The development of tourism sites intended to promote job growth in poorregions dominated by agriculture and fishing industries. Apart from providing jobs, tourist projects have transformed peasants into good workers and modern citizens by socialising with the foreigners. This goes back to Fennel’s idea of rural communities working together to succeed both in heritage and ecotourism.

As heritage and eco-tourism share similarities in a social perspective theycontrast from each other as well. Whilst education is a factor that attributes in both form of tourism, it is the specific role that education plays in both tourism fields that differ them. Going back to the main principle of eco-tourism TSI (1990) build environmental awareness and raise sensitivity on a social scale. Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) has committed to engage theirdivers into the previous principles before going into the water. As the founder of the organization John Cronin said “Give more people a chance to enjoy the underwater world by offering relevant, instructionally-valid scuba diving training to create confident scuba divers and PADI felt a responsibility to teach divers about their interactions with the underwater environment”. (PADI 2012) Thisworldwide organization not only encourages tourists to immerse themselves in the underwater world but to create environmental awareness all this through educational courses. On the other hand in heritage tourism, education will be acquired after the visit. Boyd and Dallen (2003) explain how tourist’s major reason for visiting heritage sites is the excitement of the new knowledge they will hopefully...