Cover image for Ecotourism and sustainable development : who owns paradise?
Title:
Ecotourism and sustainable development : who owns paradise?
Personal Author:
Edition:
2nd ed.
Publication Information:
Washington, D.C. : Island Press, c2008
Physical Description:
xi, 551 p. ; 24 cm.
ISBN:
9781597261258

9781597261265
General Note:
Includes index

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30000010250059 G156.5.E26 H66 2008 Open Access Book Book
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Summary

Summary

Around the world, ecotourism has been hailed as a panacea: a way to fund conservation and scientific research, protect fragile ecosystems, benefit communities, promote development in poor countries, instill environmental awareness and a social conscience in the travel industry, satisfy and educate discriminating tourists, and, some claim, foster world peace. Although "green" travel is being aggressively marketed as a "win-win" solution for the Third World, the environment, the tourist, and the travel industry, the reality is far more complex, as Martha Honey reports in this extraordinarily enlightening book.



Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, originally published in 1998, was among the first books on the subject. For years it has defined the debate on ecotourism: Is it possible for developing nations to benefit economically from tourism while simultaneously helping to preserve pristine environments? This long-awaited second edition provides new answers to this vital question.



Ecotourism and Sustainable Development is the most comprehensive overview of worldwide ecotourism available today, showing how both the concept and the reality have evolved over more than twenty-five years. Here Honey revisits six nations she profiled in the first edition--the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, and South Africa--and adds a fascinating new chapter on the United States. She examines the growth of ecotourism within each country's tourism strategy, its political system, and its changing economic policies. Her useful case studies highlight the economic and cultural impacts of expanding tourism on indigenous populations as well as on ecosystems.



Honey is not a "travel writer." She is an award-winning journalist and reporter who lived in East Africa and Central America for nearly twenty years. Since writing the first edition of this book, she has led the International Ecotourism Society and founded a new center to lead the way to responsible ecotourism. Her experience and her expertise resonate throughout this beautifully written and highly informative book.


Author Notes

Martha Honey is executive director of the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development and editor of Ecotourism and Certification: Setting Standards in Practice (Island Press, 2002)


Reviews 1

Choice Review

Honey (Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development; Ecotourism and Certification, 2002) points out that ecotourism is one of the most dynamic elements in the modern multibillion-dollar tourism industry. She attributes this success to three factors. First, as the world increasingly turns "green," environmental protection becomes ever more important to large numbers of potential tourists. Second, the mantra of "sustainable development" speaks to the idea that tourism revenues might enable many countries to alleviate poverty without totally destroying their natural and culture heritage. Third, increasing numbers of tourists, having enjoyed the classic cultures of Europe, America, and other "rich" parts of the world, and are eager to see something different. This updated study (1st ed., CH, Sep'99, 37-0299) comprehensively addresses these interconnected elements and clearly identifies problems as well as benefits associated with ecotourism. The introductory "What Is Ecotourism?" section establishes the background and philosophical basis of the subject. The second and major part of the book focuses on national studies, featuring African and Latin American countries, and examines the impact of tourism on these areas. Abundant footnotes and a comprehensive index complete the work. Must reading for anyone in the tourism business. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, upper-division students, and practitioners. J. R. McDonald emeritus, Eastern Michigan University


Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsp. ix
Part 1 What Is Ecotourism?
1 In Search of the Golden Toadp. 3
2 The World Travel Industry: Going "Green"?p. 34
3 Ecotourism Todayp. 71
Part 2 Nation Studies
4 The Galapagos Islands: Test Site for Theories of Evolution and Ecotourismp. 121
5 Costa Rica: On the Beaten Pathp. 160
6 Tanzania: Whose Eden Is It?p. 215
7 Zanzibar: Ecotourism on a Muslim Islandp. 256
8 Kenya: The Ups and Downs of Africa's Ecotourism "Mzee"p. 295
9 South Africa: People and Parks under Majority Rulep. 345
10 Ecotourism in the United Statesp. 395
Conclusion: The Road Less Traveledp. 443
Notesp. 449
Indexp. 531