Academia and the Evolution of Ecotourism

Abstract

This review paper traces the evolution of ecotourism and the role academia has played in that evolution. Ecotourism arguably would not exist, and certainly would not exist in the form it is now, were it not for the active involvement of the academic community. Academics and academia have played a critical stewardship role in the conceptualization and operationalization of this activity, more so than any other form of tourism. Ecotourism has evolved, and is still evolving through three phases. The 'New Dawn' phase is typified by idealism, hyperbole and hope. It is followed quickly by a 'Crisis of Legitimacy,' where critics illustrate that the ecotourism largely fails to meet its social, economic and ecological ideals, that has not yet been resolved fully. Finally, ecotourism reaches maturity when it achieves the 'Sustainable Product Niche' phase where a realistic understanding of what it can and cannot do, emerges.

Determinants of Tourists’ Site-Specific Environmentally Responsible Behavior: An Eco-Sensitive Zone Perspective

“…Ecotourism and its benefits are an important debate in tourism literature, especially with questions being raised about its efficacy in evoking sustainable behavior by tourists (e.g., McKercher 2010; Wardle et al 2018). Thus, an understanding of the mechanism for explaining how tourists’ values manifest, or otherwise, into tourists’ ERB at a specific location, referred to as s-ERB here, is important.…”

“…Ecotourism is an important research agenda in the tourism literature with numerous destinations developing eco-friendly and close-to-nature tourism services (Castellanos-Verdugo et al 2016; Wurzinger and Johansson 2006; for a detailed review, see Wondirad 2019). While most works suggest that ecotourism leads to sustainable development, cultural protection, and environmental conservation (e.g., Cobbinah et al 2017; Jamaliah and Powell 2018; Masud et al 2017; Mayaka, Croy, and Cox 2018), another research stream raises questions about its efficacy in achieving those objectives, including its ability to evoke sustainable behavior, referred to as ERB, by tourists (e.g., Mckercher 2010; Sharpley 2006; Southgate 2006; Wardle et al 2018).…”

La producción científica de turismo basado en la naturaleza: análisis bibliométrico de las bases de datos de Clarivate Analytics

“…La producción científica en ecoturismo muestra un incremento exponencial y fluctuante entre 1991 y 2008 (Mckercher, 2010), entre 1993 y 2009 (He, 2019), y entre 1990 y 2018 (Stronza et al, 2019), lo mismo es válido para el número de revistas con publicaciones científicas en ecoturismo (Mckercher, 2010). En los últimos 25 años los estudios en ecoturismo son liderados por Asia, África y América Latina, con dominio de Estados Unidos, Australia, Reino Unido y Canadá (Wondirad, 2019), en los que predominan los modelos cualitativos de investigación (He, 2019;Wondirad, 2019).…”

Ecotourism development challenges and opportunities in Wondo Genet and its environs, southern Ethiopia

“…That makes ecotourism the fastest growing and substantial niche tourism market in the world. Subsequently, numerous destinations and regions assess their unique tourism resource potential and competitive advantages to develop eco and nature inclined places (Rogerson, 2012;McKercher, 2010;Pillay and Rogerson, 2013;Wondirad, 2019). In general, as Wang and Tong (2012), Afenyo and Amuquandoh (2014), and Wondirad et al (2020) discussed, ecotourism is considered as a viable form of tourism development as it: promotes the implementation of the principles of sustainable tourism in natural areas and sociocultural settings; considers sustainability and adheres to the triple-bottom-line concept; and gives emphasis on the educational component of a trip and thereby enhances visitors' experience and helps to modify their behavior and lifestyles into a more responsible traveler.…”