Sustainable Ecotourism

Abstract

AbstractThe tourism industry is under scrutiny, both from the public and internally, in order to assess how well it meets the criteria of sustainable development. Ecotourism is described not as an alternative to mass tourism but as a potentially sustainable form of visitor demand and resource supply if nine fundamental ethics based principles can be operationalised. A view of ecotourism as having a spectrum of demanded and supplied products is advanced with illustrations from Brazil. A consideration of the constraints of ecotourism is included and the relationships among adventure, nature based and cultural tourism is indicated with an ethical overlay defining sustainable ecotourism. Some positive ecotourism related practices of an Arctic adventure tourism company illustrate key practical decisions to promote sustainbility.