Ecotourism: The Search for an Operational Definition

Abstract

Although questions of how ecotourism as a concept is to be defined have begun to subside, the question of how a given definition might be operationalised for marketing and research purposes remains. The paper discusses this question, arguing that a distinction between intentions and outcomes is required, as is a distinction between normative and descriptive perspectives. A consideration of the pros and cons of the alternative ways of identifying ecotourism experiences in market research studies suggests that different applications may require different approaches, and that any one application may require a combination of different measurement approaches. When comparability among the results of different market research studies is desired, a minimalist definition involving references to a mixture of intentions and outcomes may be required.